“We are not just delivering consulting services, accounting services or legal services anymore, it’s actually solutions. This is a huge and fundamental mindset shift for our industry.” says Sebastian Hartmann.

In this episode Henna and Nina talk to Sebastian Hartmann about how to shape law firms, and other professional service firms, for the future and how design thinking plays a role in the change journey. Legal industry has been talking about the change and the future for the past twenty years but now we are actually living the change. Old business models are outdated and our clients are expecting us to deliver solutions, instead of just services. New business models require new management play books and new career paths for lawyers.

But how to drive this change and make sure that the organizations are ready for the future and where to start the innovation work? From Sebastian’s point of view, design already shapes the way many legal businesses operate today but there is still a lot to do. Collecting and analyzing data will play a key role in future ready service firms but there is also a big demand for multidisciplinary teamwork and collaboration between firms that once were just rivals.

Sebastian Hartmann works at the intersection of knowledge work and technology at KPMG. With his teams, he actively influences, shapes, leads and manages the strategies and resulting digital transformation journeys of people-centered and knowledge-driven organizations, e.g. at Fortune 500, DAX companies and leading B2B service providers.

At KPMG, Sebastian enjoys shaping the firm’s digital transformation – and works hand in hand with leading technology companies and other professional services firms as clients and alliance partners. He together with his teams have shaped strategies and their execution across all of KPMG’s lines of business, designed digital and next gen solutions, and driven cultural and organizational transformation programs – and achieved significant growth and profitability contributions.

Sebastian sees the digital transformation and evolution of knowledge work as an incredible opportunity for everyone involved. Being part of this journey and shaping some of the stepping stones for knowledge workers (like special matter experts, consultants, lawyers, auditors, designers and many others) and their clients is a key driver of his motivation every single day.

Read more about the Solution Design Canvas on LinkedIn here.