Executive Advisory
A confidential thinking partner for the decisions that shape your organisation — tested before they are made, not explained after.
The hardest decisions in an organisation are rarely technical. They are about people: who leads what, how the top team works together, when to restructure, how to handle a succession nobody wants to discuss. They are also the decisions leaders most often make alone.
Executive advisory gives you a place to think those decisions through with someone independent — someone who is not part of the politics, does not report to you and has no stake in the answer other than it being a good one. We listen, ask the questions that are easy to avoid, bring experience from other organisations and help you see the options clearly.
It can be a standing arrangement, where we meet regularly and you bring whatever is on your mind, or focused support around a specific moment: a leadership change, a reorganisation, a period of growth or a difficult transition.
What you get
What an engagement typically delivers. The exact scope is agreed with you first.
A confidential sounding board
Regular, private conversations where you can think out loud about people, structure and leadership questions without it becoming a formal process.
Decision support at key moments
Structured preparation for significant decisions — the options, the risks, the people affected and how the decision will be communicated.
Succession and key-role planning
A clear view of which roles matter most, who could step into them and what needs to happen now so a departure does not become a crisis.
Board and leadership-team support
Help with how the top team works together: roles, decision-making, difficult conversations and preparing the board for people-related decisions.
How we work
An initial conversation
We talk about where you are, what is on your mind and whether an advisory relationship is the right kind of help. There is no commitment at this stage.
Agreeing the shape
Together we agree the focus, how often we meet, who else is involved (if anyone) and how we will know the work is useful.
Working sessions
Regular sessions, in person or online, with preparation between them where it helps — a short note, a comparison of options or input from others you choose to involve.
Review and adjust
At agreed points we step back to review what has changed and whether the arrangement should continue, change focus or come to an end.
What changes
- Important people decisions are made deliberately, with the options and risks in view
- Fewer surprises when a key person leaves or a role changes
- A top team with clearer roles and a better way of making decisions together
- A leader who has somewhere to take the questions that cannot be discussed internally
Common questions
Is this the same as coaching?
They overlap, but the focus is different. Coaching is mainly about you as a leader — your effectiveness and development. Advisory is mainly about the decisions in front of you and the organisation around you. Many leaders use both at different times.
How confidential is it?
Completely. What you discuss stays between us unless you decide otherwise. If other people are involved in the work, we agree in advance what is shared and with whom.
How long does an advisory relationship last?
It depends on what you need. Some arrangements cover one specific transition over a few months; others are ongoing, with regular sessions and a review at agreed points.
How is it priced?
There is no standard price list, because the scope varies. We propose the cost together with the scope, so you can see both before you decide.
Let's talk about Executive Advisory.
A short conversation is usually enough to tell whether we are the right fit.