Phase 2 · Strategy & Planning · From Idea to Executable Plan
Board Structure & Effectiveness Review
A board that is not working well is not just an inconvenience — it is a governance failure that costs money, destroys investor confidence, and leaves the business without the strategic challenge it most needs.
Board structure and effectiveness review is the structured assessment of the composition, operation, and commercial contribution of the board — examining whether the board has the right people, the right skills, the right processes, and the right culture to provide genuine strategic oversight and challenge to the management team. We identify what is working, what is not, and what changes would materially improve the board's contribution to the business.
The Pain We Solve
You may recognise yourself in one of these.
Three audience scenarios · because the same service produces a different transformation depending on where you are in the business journey.
Scenario 1
The board that is too passive — that receives information and does not challenge it
The management team presents at board meetings. The board asks clarifying questions. And the meeting ends without a decision being challenged, a strategy being tested, or a risk being identified that management had not already flagged. The board is performing but not governing.
Scenario 2
The board with skills gaps that leave significant strategic areas unscrutinised
The board is composed of people who understand the core business well. The commercial finance, the international expansion, the technology strategy, and the people agenda are all areas where the board has no relevant experience — and those are the areas where the most significant strategic risks and opportunities currently sit.
Scenario 3
The investor-backed board where the dynamic between the founder and the investor directors is reducing the quality of the governance
Board meetings are uncomfortable. The founder feels challenged in ways that feel personal rather than commercial. The investor directors feel their oversight is resisted. The dynamic is reducing the quality of the governance and creating an adversarial relationship that is damaging the commercial partnership.
The Impact It Creates
The Moment You Will Feel the Difference.
Board composition improved through the identification and recruitment of skills gaps
Board culture shifted from passive acceptance to active, constructive challenge
Board processes redesigned to use meeting time more effectively for strategic debate
Board dynamic improved — investor and founder directors working as a team
What You Receive
The Specific Deliverables.
Tangible outputs · documented, dated, and yours to keep.
- Board effectiveness assessment — composition, process, culture, and contribution
- Board skills matrix and gap identification
- Board process redesign — agenda, papers, and meeting management
- NED recruitment brief for identified skills gaps
- Board culture development programme
- Annual board effectiveness review framework
The Outcome
Where You Will Be on the Other Side.
The board contributes genuine strategic value — challenging the management team with the right questions, bringing the right skills to the right decisions, and creating the governance environment in which the best commercial outcomes are most likely to be reached.
Primary Focus
Assessing and improving board composition, process, and culture to maximise its contribution to strategic oversight and commercial performance.
KPI Measurement
- Board effectiveness score
- Board skills coverage vs strategic agenda
- Management team perception of board value
- Board meeting quality score
- Strategic decisions improved by board challenge
Investment & ROI
Pricing Engineered Around the Value You Create.
Every engagement is sized against the value we believe we can create with you · the fee is always a fraction of the outcome. Four tiers · so the investment matches your stage of business.
Tier 1
Foundations
£5,000 – £15,000
Right for
Pre-startup, startup, and micro-business founders ready to build on evidence rather than instinct.
Typical Value Created
£100K+ in sharper resource allocation and avoided strategic missteps
Engagement
4 – 8 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 2
Acceleration
£15,000 – £50,000
Right for
Growing SMEs and established small businesses ready to scale a working model into the next revenue band.
Typical Value Created
£500K – £3M in faster execution and pipeline acceleration
Engagement
8 – 16 weeks
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 3
Transformation
£50,000 – £250,000
Right for
Medium enterprises and scale-stage businesses ready to commit to a multi-quarter, organisation-wide shift.
Typical Value Created
£2M – £20M in strategic value through repositioning, model redesign, and growth-system installation
Engagement
3 – 9 months
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Tier 4
Enterprise
£250,000 – £2M+
Right for
Large enterprises, global operators, and complex organisations ready for a multi-year strategic partnership.
Typical Value Created
£10M+ in major strategic initiatives, capital deployment efficiency, and competitive repositioning
Engagement
12 months and onward
Target Return
5 – 10× ROI
within 12 – 18 months
Why We Price This Way
Every engagement is sized around the value we believe we can create with you. The fee is always a fraction of the outcome · typically 10 – 20% of the expected first-year return.
This is how we make sure pricing aligns with results. The conversation is never “what does this cost?” · it is always “what is this worth to your business?” We answer that together in the first call, transparently, and decide the right tier from there.
If we cannot articulate a credible 5–10× return for your specific situation, we will tell you in the first call. That honesty is part of why our clients trust us with the work that matters most.
Why This Conversation Matters
“The best boards are the ones where the management team leaves the meeting having been challenged in ways that improve the decision they were about to make. We design the board that provides that challenge — consistently, constructively, and commercially.”
A 90-minute structured strategy session · produces a usable roadmap whether you engage further or not.
More in Phase 2