How are fees set?
Fixed-fee engagements are quoted after the first conversation, once the scope is clear. Retained work is a monthly fee for a defined term. I do not charge by the hour, and I do not quote before I understand the problem.
Who is the client — the CEO or the board?
Whoever commissions the work, and that is agreed in writing before it starts. When the CEO engages me and the problem turns out to sit with the board, I raise it with the CEO first and agree together how it reaches the chair.
How is confidentiality handled?
Every engagement is under a mutual non-disclosure agreement from the first substantive conversation. Interview material is unattributed. Case studies on this site are shared with permission and with identifying detail removed.
Do you work outside the US and UK?
Yes. Most engagements are in North America and Europe; about a third involve boards meeting in more than one country. Travel is billed at cost.
What if you are not the right fit?
Then I will tell you in the first call, and where I can, suggest someone who is. I decline roughly half of the enquiries I receive — usually because the problem is operational rather than structural.
How quickly can an engagement start?
Usually within four to eight weeks of agreeing scope. A Strategy Execution Review can occasionally begin sooner if the calendar allows; the availability note on the home page is kept current.