A Quarter Century of Courage and Dedication: Partner Markus Valoaho reflects on what has carried August to this moment, and what will take it into the next era

As August approaches its 25th anniversary, partner Markus Valoaho pauses to reflect on his long career in consulting and why a bold culture of experimentation remains at the heart of the company. The interview reveals a leader driven not only by the pursuit of perfect solutions, but also by a deep service mindset and a belief that even difficult times are navigated together. 

Markus Valoaho in November 2025, holding a photo of himself from summer 2003 wearing a shirt with August’s Ibis bird illustration.

Markus’ mornings always begin the same way: the dog needs a walk. “The day would certainly start anyway, but walking the dog is part of every single morning. This is already our family’s second Dalmatian.” Dogs weren’t part of Markus’ childhood, but in adulthood they’ve become an important part of life. “My childhood family never had a dog, but when the kids moved out, my parents got one too. My wife’s family had a Dalmatian even back in the 80s.” In addition to the dog, the family’s “ranch” is home to several other four-legged residents; a cat and three horses. 

Outside of work, especially on weekends if there are no other commitments, Markus unwinds by going horseback riding and on fishing trips with his children. Although for now, the boat has already been stored for the winter. There is also always something to do on the ranch: something to repair, move, or tinker with. 

Markus’ career in consulting began at the turn of the millennium with a desire to learn more and explore different industries. “Originally, quite classically, I was interested in learning a lot of new things, seeing different sectors, and getting a lot of responsibility early on.” Since then, he has realized it’s about more than just a thirst for knowledge or problem-solving: “I’ve understood that I have the kind of mindset where I enjoy being in a service profession in which I get to solve problems.” 

When asked what motivates him when work feels difficult, he pauses.
“What does ‘difficult’ even mean?” 

He lists different forms of difficulty: demanding clients, genuinely complex questions to solve, heavy workloads with plenty of shoveling to do. But years of experience have taught him a certain kind of perspective.
“If you can approach difficult things calmly, they will always sort themselves out. I’ve always gotten through everything so far, so I’ve learned to trust that all things will work out eventually.” 

Talking about his own development makes Markus laugh: “How have I developed? Hopefully a lot.” His expertise has grown not only in content but also in team leadership. Leadership styles from the 90s now seem very distant in a world that has changed so much. But perhaps the most significant shift is internal: “I don’t know whether consulting has changed me as a person, or if it’s getting older, or everything that happens outside of consulting. I can’t separate them, it’s impossible. What matters is staying in touch with the times.”

As a younger consultant, Markus saw many things more straightforwardly. Over the years, he has developed a deeper understanding of how hard it truly is to drive change within companies and how challenging it can be to get people aligned. “Change rarely happens because of some brilliant analysis followed by a PowerPoint slide.” Real change requires effort, time, and perseverance, something that, in his youth, could feel frustrating.

Markus is a capable horse rider and show jumping is his favorite hobby.

“In ten years, will someone ask us: how on earth did you consult without AI?” 

Consulting as a field has changed dramatically and will continue to evolve. Markus sees AI as a major force reshaping how expert work is done. He compares the shift to the pre-internet era: “Back around the turn of the millennium, I asked a senior colleague: how on earth did you consult before the internet? In ten years, will someone ask us: how on earth did you consult without AI?” 

AI accelerates information gathering, analysis, and summarization, but Markus believes humans will continue being much better at executing change. “There will always be certain human work that remains. We consultants need to build our work on top of what AI produces.” 

Clients, too, have evolved. “Clients’ abilities to gather information, look for global examples, or run analyses are completely different from what they were twenty-six years ago.” Consultants must always stay one step ahead: “Expectations rise continually, and clients demand more and more from consultants.” 

According to Markus, August’s slogan #bravethefuture shows up in client work primarily in everyday project decisions and small courageous choices. Rather than sticking to a purely risk-minimizing mindset, August embraces the courage to try new approaches, even when the outcomes can’t be fully predicted. “The slogan partly emerged from a mindset we felt we were already living: boldly trying new approaches, sometimes succeeding and sometimes not. But often it creates something truly valuable and innovative for the client.” 

Alongside “braving,” it is genuine care that defines August’s client work. “What’s most important, is that clients feel that our consultants genuinely care, are dedicated to the case, and truly try their best.” He emphasizes that everything at August is built around the client’s needs; the goal is to not only deliver a high-quality outcome, but also to ensure the client feels supported by the team every step of the way. “We think very customer-centrically, everything begins with the client. We want our clients to think of us as empathetic, dedicated, even humble.” 

“We want our clients to think of us as empathetic, dedicated, even humble.”

The ability to see beneath the surface and the courage to look far ahead also reflect Markus’ view of leadership in uncertain times. “In the end, long-term thinking is the most important task of leadership, being able to look far enough to the horizon in this environment.” 

Next year, August turns 25, and Markus has been part of the journey for most of that time. He cannot point to one moment as the most meaningful, since they all form a rich whole, which would be impossible to arrange in order of importance.  Nevertheless, he reflects, “Perhaps choosing to come to August in the first place is the most meaningful moment for me.” 

So what kind of a person would August be at age 25? Markus smiles thoughtfully.
“A braver. Bold. Open-minded.” Other than that, they could be anything they wanted to be. 

Generations change, but August is always built by the people who create it in any given time. In Markus’ words, the only truly constant thing is the culture: “Each generation must claim its space and build August in its own way. The culture and team spirit we’ve cultivated and protected over the years are things that will hopefully carry into the future.” 

Summer 2003: Markus wearing a shirt with August’s Ibis bird, a symbol inspired by the Egyptian god Thoth, the god wisdom and reason, whose head is that of an ibis.

Name: Markus Valoaho
Born: 6 September 1975 in Savonlinna, grew up in Lappeenranta
Family: Lives on a “ranch” with his wife and their 14- and 16-year-old children
Hobbies: Horseback riding and fishing
Education: M.Sc. (Tech.), Engineering Physics
Joined August:  In August 2003
Fun fact: For his 50th birthday, he received a wind vane featuring the August Ibis bird, which is still looking for its perfect place on the ranch.

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