Advisory
Senior judgement for the decisions that shape a business.
I’ve spent three decades advising and running businesses — including two decades in senior leadership, as CFO, COO and Board Chair.
I work with founders, owners and leadership teams on the questions that matter most: where the business is going, how it’s run, how it’s funded and who leads it next. Sometimes that’s a single decision. Sometimes it’s a fresh look at the whole business.
Where I help
The questions I’m brought in for.
Every business is different, but the decisions that matter tend to fall into a few areas. Most engagements touch more than one, because the best business outcomes are ones that take a holistic approach.
Strategy
Setting direction, building the roadmap that actually gives clear direction on how to get there, and running workshops that get a leadership team aligned and committed.
Operations
Identifying where structures, systems and reporting have stopped keeping pace with growth, and how to build what works.
Organisational structure
The right roles, decision rights and senior team for the business you’re becoming.
Capital
Thinking through funding, investment and ownership decisions before you commit.
Succession & ownership
Planning for the next leader, a new partner, or a business that can run without you.
Governance
Boards and advisory structures that support good decisions rather than slow them down.
Ways to work together
Shaped around what you need.
Every engagement starts with a conversation or simply a question.
Targeted adviceScoped to the issue
Focused support on a specific decision, issue or project — a strategy workshop, a capital decision, a restructure, a succession plan.
Let’s talk →Business Operations ReviewSix weeks
An independent, evidence-led review of how the business really runs — ending in a prioritised roadmap of what to change.
Find out more →Founder Sounding BoardOngoing
An ongoing advisory relationship for founders making significant decisions largely alone.
Find out more →Why work with me
Operator experience
I’ve run businesses, not just advised them. I don’t just tell you the what, but I show you the how.
Independent
A senior view with no stake in the answer — and the candour that’s hard to get from inside.
Evidence over opinion
Advice grounded in the numbers and in how the business actually works, not how it looks on paper.
Every part of the business was better because of Stella. She turned our growth plan into an operating reality, and the company reached its three-year targets in less than two years.Matthew ChunInvestment Committee & Strategic Adviser, Monark
Not sure which fits?
That’s usually the right place to start.
Tell me what’s on your mind. We’ll work out together whether I can help, and how.
Let’s talk