Strategy advisor to CEOs of $300M–$4B companies. Twenty-five years turning the number the board approved into a strategy the executive team owns.

You walked out of the board meeting with this.

The number they want, the things they need from you, and the questions under it. Every engagement starts on this page.

Industrial, $600M

Board mtg — Tues

approved $118M next yr. we're at 104.
"growth across the portfolio" — they didn't buy it
Mike: which 3 businesses actually make the money??
retail — losing $6M. 4th year. keep ??
AI strategy by Q1. what IS that
tariff review — OEM volume exposed

need from me

where the $14M comes from, by name
retail: in or out
AI tied to $ not vendors
monthly view. no year-end surprise

14 = ? + ? + ?

who owns this?

Franchisor, 380 units

Board — Thurs

$92M next yr vs 81
40 new units in the plan — franchisees haven't committed !!
same-store +4% "system-wide" — which stores?
mall units. 4 yrs of losses. why still opening
380 units, one strategy. board: is that right?
labour cost — urban units

need from me

growth by unit type, not system avg
mall: stop?
where franchisee capital goes
region owners w/ numbers

380 ≠ 1

avg hides 40 stores?

PE-backed, year two

Board + op partner — Mon

exit case $140M. entry 104. we're at 109. 18 mos in.
plan = deal team's spreadsheet. nobody here owns it
6 acquisition targets. which??
project work — $40M rev, loses $, kills the multiple
mid-market churn up
sponsor wants a monthly view

need from me

the $31M by product-market, w/ owners
one target not six
recurring-rev story a buyer pays for
same page for me + sponsor

buy or fix??

31 = ?

Sound familiar? Thirty minutes, CEO to CEO, finds the first question under the number. Ninety days later your team sends the board one page with names on it. See that page

Thirty minutes. One day. Then every month.

30 min

The call, CEO to CEO

Bring one number. Leave with the one question your team has to answer first.

1 day

Your numbers, your team

Your executives write the memo above. Strategy on a page, execution on a page, owners beside the numbers.

Monthly

The decision system

AI analyses before the meeting. The meeting decides. I stay until your team doesn't need me.

Bring one number.

The target, the margin, the sponsor's growth rate, the AI budget. Thirty minutes. No proposal follows.

Email Tim Who I've done this with