Becoming a partner is much more than a promotion: it is a real career change. In their article published in the LJA, Sophie Bacqueville and Amélie Lerosier, partners at MatchPoint, analyse this major professional transformation.
The transition from associate to partner requires a shift from the role of executor to that of entrepreneur. Business development can no longer be treated as an adjustment variable, but must become a ritualised priority on a par with client case management.
The authors recommend a methodical three-step approach: first, a clear diagnosis of one’s strengths and weaknesses; second, the development of a growth strategy consistent with the firm’s vision; and finally, management based on specific indicators such as the pipeline conversion rate.
Growth is based on several complementary levers: active client retention, cross-selling between departments, and building strong visibility (‘personal branding’) through public speaking and the publication of high value-added analyses.
Beyond commercial development, partners must also master the financial side of the business by managing KPIs that were previously unfamiliar to them: profitability, achievement ratio, resource management, billing cycle.
Succeeding in this entrepreneurial transformation requires humility and boldness: accepting to be an apprentice in the art of entrepreneurship in order to transform an excellent technician into a developer partner, a true driver of the firm’s growth.
Full article – LJA No. 1713 of 26 January 2026(available in French here)