PRIVATE ADVISORY
Confidential counsel and independent perspective for individuals navigating significant responsibility, pressure and change.
A discreet, one-to-one relationship offering the space, perspective and thoughtful challenge needed to consider difficult questions, complex decisions and periods of significant change.
Independent perspective can become harder to find as responsibility increases.
Responsibility, success and visibility can bring opportunity, but they can also make genuinely independent perspective harder to find.
Those closest to you may care deeply, but they may also carry their own expectations, interests or responsibilities. Professional advisers provide essential expertise, although their advice is usually confined to a particular field.
Private Advisory provides one entirely independent relationship in which you can think openly, test assumptions and work through the wider personal and professional implications of significant decisions, pressures and periods of change.
Drawing on direct experience of leadership, risk and consequential decision-making, together with advanced professional expertise, I provide calm perspective, thoughtful challenge and practical counsel without a vested interest in the outcome.
The relationship is designed for individuals who value having an experienced and discreet adviser alongside them when circumstances are complex, the stakes are high or the way forward is not immediately clear.
WHAT CLIENTS GAIN
Greater clarity when the situation is complex and the consequences matter.
Clearer Thinking
Space to step back from immediate pressures, make sense of complexity and consider your options more clearly.
Independent Perspective
Confidential counsel, free from agenda or vested interest that sits outside of your personal, professional or family circle.
Considered Challenge
Exploration and reflection to test assumptions, unveil what’s been overlooked and make better informed decisions.
Greater Composure
Support to navigate pressure, uncertainty, scrutiny or change with greater confidence, strength and perspective.
Trusted continuity
Continuity, discretion and the experience to help you navigate challenging decisions, moments and periods of transition.
The aim isn’t to provide answers, but to help you reach decisions you can understand, own and act upon with confidence.
WHEN IT MAY BE VALUABLE
Some situations need more than specialist advice alone.
Private Advisory may be particularly valuable when the issue extends beyond one professional discipline, the consequences are significant or those around you are too close to the situation to be entirely independent.
01
You are facing a significant decision with personal as well as professional implications.
02
Responsibility, visibility or scrutiny has increased.
04
Those around you are too close to the situation to be entirely independent.
03
You are navigating succession, sale, transition or a change in role or identity.
06
You need to prepare for a difficult conversation, relationship or period of change.
05
Specialist advisers are addressing parts of the issue, but no one is considering the whole picture with you.
07
You value continuity from someone who already understands your wider circumstances.
INDEPENDENT BY DESIGN
No competing agenda.
I am not part of your family, organisation, board or professional advisory team. I do not hold an operational role in the decisions we discuss and have no vested interest in steering you towards a particular outcome.
That independence allows me to ask questions others may find difficult to ask, test assumptions without organisational or personal pressure and help you consider the wider consequences of the choices available.
My role isn’t to replace your judgement. It’s to strengthen the quality of the thinking behind it.
HOW THE RELATIONSHIP WORKS
A private relationship shaped around your circumstances.
Private Advisory is built around a discreet one-to-one relationship with me, shaped around your circumstances, priorities and the level of access that you require.
There is no standard agenda or prescribed programme. Conversations focus on whatever is most significant at the time, whether that involves a consequential decision, personal or professional change, a difficult relationship, increased scrutiny or a situation that is difficult to resolve from within.
I bring calm perspective, thoughtful challenge and practical counsel, helping you examine the situation clearly, consider the wider implications and decide how best to move forward.
SIX OR TWELVE MONTH SUPPORT
Private Advisory is normally arranged over six or twelve months. This provides continuity, allows me to understand the wider context and gives you access to a trusted adviser as circumstances develop.
AGREED ACCESS
The frequency of scheduled conversations, arrangements for contact between meetings and any in-person support are agreed at the outset.
The relationship provides enough continuity to understand the wider context, while remaining flexible enough to respond as circumstances change.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND BOUNDARIES
DISCRETION AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Private Advisory is conducted on a confidential one to one basis.
No information is shared with family members, employers, introducers, professional advisers, or any other party without your express permission, subject to legal and professional obligations.
Where the relationship has been introduced or funded by an organisation or intermediary, the boundaries of confidentiality are agreed at the outset.
Discreet by nature. Clear in its boundaries.
COMPLEMENTING SPECIALIST ADVICE
Private Advisory does not replace legal, financial, medical, therapeutic, investment or other specialist advice.
Professional advisers provide essential expertise within their respective fields. My role is different: to help you consider the whole situation, understand how the various issues interact and work through the personal, relational and leadership implications of the choices before you.
Where specialist advice is required, I will encourage you to seek it from an appropriately qualified professional.
Clear confidentiality and professional boundaries protect both the relationship and the quality of the work.
PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS
Continuity, access and attention agreed from the outset.
Private Advisory is available by private arrangement and shaped around the circumstances, priorities and level of support required.
The practical arrangement are agreed clearly at the beginning so that both the nature of the relationship and the level of access are understood from the outset.
HOW WE MEET
Confidential one to one conversations delivered remotely by secure teleconference or in person where appropriate.
ACCESS BETWEEN CONVERSATIONS
The live of contact between scheduled conversations is agreed at the outset and shaped around the engagement.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Travel, urgent access, extensive document review or involvement with additional stakeholders may be included where appropriate or agreed separately.
I purposely limit the number of active relationships so that each client receives the continuity, attention and responsiveness that their work requires.
CLIENT PERSPECTIVE
“Our sessions have offered a rare space for honest, reflective thinking — free from hierarchy or internal filters. John has helped me reframe long-held assumptions, develop greater clarity in my decision-making and bring balance, proportion and perspective to my overall approach.”
Simon T United Kingdom PRIVATE ADVISORY
A private conversation is often the best to begin.
Private Advisory begins with a confidential introductory conversation to understand your circumstances, what you are seeking and assess if the relationship is likely to be the right fit.