With a brief, confidential conversation about the specific decision or risk at hand. Most mandates begin as a focused diagnostic — a structured review of the data estate, governance posture, or AI agenda — before scope and phasing are agreed. There is no standard onboarding package; the starting point is shaped by the problem.

All enquiries and engagements are treated as confidential by default. NDAs are signed before substantive discussions begin, and engagement terms include explicit data handling obligations. Regulated and PE-adjacent contexts, where information barriers and dual-role sensitivities apply, are handled with appropriate care.

A typical engagement has three stages: a structured discovery phase (interviews, document review, evidence inspection), an analysis and synthesis phase that produces a board-readable findings pack, and a sequenced action plan with clear ownership. Fractional engagements add ongoing leadership — team direction, vendor management, and governance forums — on a retained basis.

CEOs, CFOs, boards, and PE operating partners who need independent assurance on a data or AI decision. CTOs, CDIOs, and transformation directors commissioning a structured review. Regulated firms needing fractional data leadership during a search or restructure. The common factor is a consequential decision that requires evidence, not opinion.

Engagements are scoped by objective and deliverable, not by time-and-materials. A fixed-scope diagnostic typically runs four to six weeks. Fractional leadership is structured as a monthly retainer with a defined commitment of days. Pricing is shared directly after an initial qualifying conversation.

Yes. The majority of the work is in financial services, insurance, and public sector organisations where FCA, PRA, BCBS239, GDPR, and internal audit requirements shape what evidence is acceptable. Deliverables are designed to withstand regulatory and board scrutiny, not just internal review.