Dutch consulting disruptor takes aim at City’s ‘five-to-one’ markup

Sweav, a Dutch-founded freelance consulting platform, is launching in the UK to challenge the traditional professional services sector on pricing. Speaking to City AM, Joeri Schouten, co-founder of Sweav, said: The UK is the biggest professional services market in Europe [but] the culture is still much more traditional, very hierarchical, and has an even more terrible work-life balance, with higher prices compared to mainland Europe. He argued that the standard five-to-one markup, where clients pay up to £4,500 daily for mid-level consultants who take home £800, is no longer sustainable. With the influx of AI and businesses tightening the purse strings, Schouten noted that firms are increasingly rejecting expensive, theoretical PowerPoint decks in favour of professionals who stay on to execute strategy and drive impact. Rather than trying to replace McKinsey or Boston Consulting Group (BCG) at work where clients want a big-name stamp, Sweav will focus on the implementatio