Some of the most valuable thinking happens between the meetings.
A retained strategic advisory relationship that gives leadership teams access to independent senior thinking when it matters, not just when a project is active.
Most consulting engagements have a start, a middle, and an end. The retained advisory relationship works differently. It’s a standing arrangement – access to a senior advisor who knows how organisations work, takes the time to understand your strategy, and can engage on the questions that matter, regardless of where they sit on a project plan.
This is particularly valuable during periods of significant strategic activity – when the decisions being made are consequential and the thinking that informs them needs to be rigorous, independent, and quickly available.
Retained Senior Advisory is priced from £8,000 per calendar month.
£8,000
3 months
Strategy, OKRs, Situational Awareness, coaching
London and UK
(In person or virtual)
The Problem
Strategic decisions don’t wait for kick-off meetings
The questions that shape an organisation’s direction arrive unexpectedly: a board conversation that surfaces a strategic gap, a competitor move that demands a response, a leadership team debate that needs resolution before the next planning cycle. A retained advisor can already be in the room when it most matters.
Available when needed
The retained model means the relationship stays established after a short onboarding period. This minimises delay between the question arising and the thinking beginning.
Continuity
A retained advisor builds cumulative understanding of an organisation: its history, its constraints, its politics, its people. That context makes the advice significantly more valuable than anything a fresh engagement can provide.
Independent perspective
Boards and leadership teams benefit from thinking that isn’t shaped by internal dynamics. A retained advisor with no agenda other than quality of outcome can say things that internal advisors can’t.
When should you consider a retained advisor?
Retained advisory can perform a very important and useful role but isn’t for everyone or every time.
This is for you if…
- Your organisation is navigating a period of significant strategic change or uncertainty.
- Your leadership team would benefit from senior advisory thinking without the overhead of a full-time engagement.
- You need someone who can engage quickly on complex questions without being briefed from scratch each time.
This is not for you if…
- You primarily need execution support rather than strategic thinking.
- You’re looking for a part-time resource to fill a specific functional role
- • You need the engagement to be project-focused with clear deliverable milestones
Client Feedback
What clients say about our Retained Advisory
“Everyone was going to multiple meetings every day to try and sort out the mess, but nothing changed. People just kept throwing rocks at each other and occasionally hiding under them. The first intervention was after only one day and it made an immediate difference.”
PR
Martin Walsh
Fintech Provider, London
“The diagnostic first approach made all the difference. It was like having a light shone into a dark corner. We saw things we were uncomfortable seeing but it gave us the data to fix it, which was so valuable.”
NB
Head of Product
Telecoms, UK
“Toby identified issues with the programme immediately. Within two months the work was flowing again and we were back on track. We had to have some grown up conversations but it was really worth it.”
NP
CTO
FinTech Consultancy, Ipswich
Strategic depth built over time
The retained relationship works because it compounds. The longer it runs, the more useful it becomes, as the advisor builds understanding of your organisation that no project engagement can replicate. Toby brings 30+ years across change, transformation, strategy, and execution, with practical experience and qualifications in OKRs, Kanban, Wardley Mapping, and executive coaching amongst others.
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