We’re proud to announce that Adelvium co-founder Richard Shuker is now a Service Leadership Certified Coach, officially accredited in both the Service Leadership Index® (SL-I®) and SLIQ™ frameworks, the global standards for benchmarking and improving Managed Service Provider (MSP) performance.

Advisory Grounded in Real Numbers

At Adelvium, our clients don’t come to us for fluff. They want clarity, accountability, and sustainable growth. Whether it’s improving leadership cohesion, refining go-to-market strategy, or building a culture of execution, our work touches every layer of the MSP business.

But there’s one layer that underpins them all, and often gets the least attention:
the numbers.

The Illusion of Governance

If you run an MSP and meet regularly with your leadership team, chances are you think you have a functioning board.

But for many MSPs, the “boardroom” is little more than:

• a list of operational problems
• a financial report
• and a few action points no one reviews next time.

This isn’t strategy. It’s survival with a nicer spreadsheet.

So What’s Actually Missing?

From working with dozens of MSPs, we consistently see these four missing elements:

1. An Outside Perspective

You’re too close to the day-to-day.
Even the smartest owner can’t challenge their own assumptions — and internal voices often play it safe.

A good external advisor brings:

• Unbiased challenge
• Pattern recognition from other MSPs
• No emotional stake in legacy decisions

2. Clarity of Roles and Accountability

Too often, decisions are blurred.
Is this Dan’s call? Does Emma own that KPI?
Or are we going to “circle back” to it next month?

Proper governance means:

• Clear ownership
• Formal decisions
• Documented follow-ups

3. Structured Tension (the good kind)

Healthy boards thrive on constructive discomfort.
Ideas get tested. Strategies get pressure-tested. People grow.

When everyone agrees, you’re not innovating, you’re stagnating.

4. Commercial Focus

This might be the biggest one.
Many board meetings obsess over internal operations — but miss the big levers for growth.

• Is our GTM working?
• Are we aligned with our ICP?
• Where are we investing margin back into the business?

A strategic board meeting asks questions that move the needle.

What We Do at Adelvium

We chair and shape board meetings that:

• Challenge groupthink
• Focus the agenda on high-leverage decisions
• Introduce proven frameworks from MSP growth playbooks
• Keep leadership accountable to the plan

We’re not your coach, and we’re not your supplier.
We’re the external partner that turns your boardroom into a growth engine.

After two jam-packed days at the MSP Show 2025, combined with SITS (Service Desk & IT Support Show), I’m back at the desk, slightly exhausted but full of ideas. And yes, that is Chewbacca in the photo with me and Richard. Because apparently, even in the world of managed services and vendors, you never know when a Wookiee might show up.

Bigger, Busier, and Buzzing

This year’s show was noticeably bigger than 2024, with hundreds of vendors under one roof, 40+ sessions, and more attendees than ever. The MSP Show is becoming a real must-attend for anyone in the channel, whether you’re an MSP, a vendor, or just someone curious about the state of the industry.

It’s also a networker’s paradise. Between sessions and vendor booths, I must’ve had 40 conversations, some planned, most spontaneous, and all valuable. It’s not often you can gather that much market insight, gossip, and inspiration in one place.

Session Highlights

Panel: How to Get the Best Out of Your MSP Vendor Relationships

Hosted by Michelle Coombs with panellists Paul Croker, Jane Matthews, Ben Spector, and Kim Simmonds – this session had some solid takeaways. There was a lot of focus on mutual accountability, communication, and transparency between vendors and MSPs.

A great discussion.

It’s Not a Rehearsal – Mark Copeman & David Weeks

This was an unexpectedly emotional session. Mark and David shared some very personal stories that really hit home. Their message? Life isn’t a rehearsal. You only get one shot at it, so stop working yourself into the ground and start making it count. A powerful reminder we all need from time to time.

Slow Down to Speed Up – Dan Scott

With perhaps the longest session title of the event, “Slow Down in Order to Speed Up: Unlock the Superpowers of Context & Understanding When Leading a Team”, Dan Scott delivered a brilliantly engaging talk. It included analogies involving insects, spiders, birds, bird poo, industrial cleaner, planes and an airport… and somehow it all made sense. A fantastic reminder that understanding the “why” behind the work is essential to leading effectively.

Surprise of the Show: Cloud Contracts 365

Among all the tech, tools, and acronyms, Cloud Contracts 365 stood out for me. Founded by Kim Simmonds, this is a seriously smart solution tackling a pain point most MSPs share, contract management.

Cloud Contracts 365 offers a comprehensive suite of tools to help MSPs take control of their contracts, something many MSPs admit is far from their strong suit.

Here’s what stood out:

Contract Builder

A smart tool that helps MSPs create legal contracts quickly and easily. No need to start from scratch or trawl through old templates, the platform walks you through creating contracts that are robust, compliant, and tailored to MSP services. Whether it’s an MSA, SLA, or NDAs, it’s designed to save time and reduce legal risk.

Contract Reviewer

Upload an existing contract and let the AI-driven reviewer flag risks, inconsistencies, and red flags. This is a game-changer for MSPs negotiating with suppliers or reviewing client agreements, especially for those without in-house legal teams. It’s like having a virtual lawyer on hand.

Contract Manager

This is the lifecycle management piece. Track renewal dates, termination clauses, change controls, and key commercial terms, all from one dashboard. No more forgotten renewals or missed revenue opportunities. It’s ideal for managing both client contracts and vendor agreements across your entire book.

Big thanks to Matt Hillier for the walkthrough, it was clear, practical, and genuinely useful.

As someone who’s seen too many MSPs buried in spreadsheets or chasing old PDFs, this felt like a solution that’s long overdue. A clean, modern platform that actually understands how MSPs operate.

One Gripe: The Session Spaces

My only bit of constructive feedback? The open session spaces. While it keeps the flow of the event moving, it made it hard to hear the speakers, especially when mics didn’t cooperate. A few sessions deserved better acoustics and more focused environments.

Another event. Another flight. Another set of slick keynotes, breakout sessions, amazing conversations… and a notebook full of ideas.

Then Monday hits.

Your inbox is overflowing, the support queue’s backed up, a team member’s off sick, and your roadmap suddenly feels like a luxury. That game-changing idea you had in Berlin? It’s now somewhere between “I’ll do it later” and “What was that again?”

Sound familiar?

The Problem Isn’t the Event—it’s What Happens After

Let’s be clear: events like N-able’s Empower are incredibly valuable. You get access to vendor roadmaps, peer insights, strategic thinking, and a big-picture view of where the industry’s heading. You might even get a shot of motivation you didn’t know you needed.

But here’s the thing MSPs rarely say out loud:

You get home, and absolutely none of it gets implemented.

Why?

Because you go right back to firefighting. Your business is running you, not the other way around. You’re working in the business, not on it.

And all that value from the event? It dies in your notes.

Let’s Call It What It Is: A Cycle

You attend events to “step back” and get perspective.

You get that perspective—and some great ideas.

Then you step right back into the same whirlwind.

And because there’s no structure, no accountability, and no system for implementation, the ideas collect dust.

Breaking the Cycle: Inspiration is Only Step One

If you’ve just come back from Empower, you’ve got a window. A few days—maybe a week—before the buzz wears off and you’ve accepted that none of it is getting done.

So don’t let that happen.

Worse still? You beat yourself up about it. You want to work on the business. You know it’s what’s needed. But the daily reality doesn’t allow for it.

At Adelvium, this is why we run advisory programs. Because we know the value isn’t just in what you learn, it’s in having the structure and support to do something with it.

Real Talk

Events without action are just expensive excuses.

If you’re serious about growth, you need more than motivation. You need execution, accountability, and space to work on your business, not just in it.

So if Empower sparked something? Don’t let it fade.

Let’s turn your ideas into outcomes.