Diagnose the real issue
Separate symptoms from the operating, governance or ownership problem creating them.
Executive advisory
Shadow CEO®
The CEO owns the decision. The Shadow CEO makes certain it is informed by experience the executive may not yet possess.
The operating problem
The most consequential CEO decisions are often the least familiar.
A capable executive can still face a transaction, board conflict, capital decision, leadership failure or company transition they have never managed before. That is not a weakness. Pretending otherwise is.
The role is active, side-by-side working assistance—not advice from the sidelines and not another layer of management.
The engagement
A disciplined process. A defensible result.
Define the decision
Clarify the available choices, the risks attached to each and the information still missing.
Execute with discipline
Turn the decision into specific actions, accountability and a timetable.
Stay ahead of consequences
Anticipate the second-order effects on the board, management team, capital structure and enterprise value.
Scope
Where the work applies.
- CEO decision support
- Founder and owner counsel
- Executive-team structure
- Capital and transaction preparation
- Board formation and director recruitment
- Corporate and equity infrastructure
- Succession and leadership transitions
- High-stakes problem solving
A Shadow CEO does not run the company. The CEO remains accountable. The value is experienced judgment before an unfamiliar decision becomes an expensive lesson.