Some of the most consequential conversations about a firm’s market position start without a brief. They start with a question.

The question might arrive at a particular moment — a leadership transition, a merger under consideration, a strategic review that surfaces issues no internal team is quite positioned to resolve. Or it might have been accumulating quietly: a sense that the firm’s story isn’t quite landing, that growth is slower than the quality of the work should allow, that competitors are gaining ground in ways that are hard to articulate but impossible to ignore.

In those moments, a senior leader rarely needs a project. They need a perspective.

A clear-eyed view from someone who has seen the same situation many times, who will engage with their specific circumstances rather than offer a generic framework, and who carries no agenda beyond being useful.

That is what Ian is available for.

What this involves
Ian works directly with a small number of managing partners and senior leaders each year in an advisory capacity — personally, and on the questions that matter most to those who lead ambitious firms.

The work takes the shape that is most useful. It might begin with a focused diagnostic: a structured review of the firm’s current positioning, how it is perceived externally, and where the gaps and opportunities are clearest. Or it might take the form of a series of working conversations — thinking through a specific decision, preparing for a leadership off-site, pressure-testing a strategic narrative before it travels further.

Who this is for
This tends to suit leaders who are already thinking seriously about their firm’s position — those who want to get clear first, and to think through their options with someone who has navigated them before.

The firms that benefit most are those performing well but sensing that the market is moving faster than their current positioning reflects. Where the gap is not one of capability, but of clarity. That is a very specific kind of problem, and it is the one Ian is best placed to help with.

If that describes your situation, the most useful next step is a conversation.

Talking to Ian
If you would like to explore whether this kind of engagement would be useful, Ian is happy to speak — no agenda, no obligations on either side.

Contact Ian directly: ian@principiaconsultants.com / 07974 564 944