When leadership needs thoughtful challenge
The decisions that matter most are rarely the ones with obvious answers
They’re often the ones where the situation is too important to get wrong, and too complex to think through alone.
That’s when an independent voice at the table is worth everything.
Genuinely honest counsel—from someone with no agenda and nothing to lose by telling you what they actually think—is rarer than it should be.
What I do
I offer advice before important decisions are made.
I ask the questions that haven’t been asked.
I notice what’s been assumed.
I offer honest challenge without ego or agenda—and no stake in the outcome other than getting it right.
What I bring
I’ve co-founded businesses; I’ve served on senior leadership teams; I’ve reported to CEOs and C-suite executives across multiple organisations.
I’ve consulted for global clients, and worked with leaders at every level across multiple industries.
That breadth means I tend to see things from angles that aren’t always represented around the table.
Current and recent advisory work spans technology, retail, cyber-security and productivity programmes.
I’m also a mentor on the Be the Business and City & Guilds Foundation ’Pathways to Potential’ programme, supporting SMEs to create routes into work for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
FAQs
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Strategic decisions where the leadership team is too close to see clearly. Moments of transition—scaling, restructuring, entering new markets. Gaps in expertise that the business needs to draw on without the formality of a full board appointment.
And sometimes just the value of having someone genuinely independent in the room—with no stake in the outcome, no political position to protect, and no reason to tell you anything other than what they actually think.
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A consultant is brought in for a defined piece of work with a specific output.
An advisory board member is an ongoing presence—there when decisions matter, not just when a project is scoped.
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Both. Early-stage businesses often need challenge on direction and assumptions.
More established ones often need challenge on what’s been taken for granted. The need for an independent perspective doesn’t change with scale.
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When you want an experienced, independent perspective as an ongoing presence—someone who gets to know the business over time, is there when decisions matter, and can see patterns and problems that are harder to spot from the inside.
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It varies. Typically a fixed number of sessions per quarter, with availability for moments that can’t wait.
The point isn’t to add to your meeting load—it’s to be there when it matters.
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It’s actually the point. Pattern recognition across industries is one of the most useful things I bring.
Most of the problems leaders face aren’t as unique to their sector as they think.
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Ask the questions that don’t get asked inside the business—because the people closest to it are too invested in the answers.
A good advisory board member brings independent judgement, relevant experience, and no stake in the outcome.
I’m not there to make decisions. I’m there to make sure the right decisions get made.
If you want honest, independent counsel before big decisions are made, let’s talk.