“Which two markets should we enter next?”
Market sizing, entry economics and a sequenced plan the board can sign off in one meeting.
Strategy for boards & leadership teams
Hard choices, made clearly and made to last
We help boards make the few decisions that shape the next five years: where to grow, what to stop and how to organise for it.
Where we're called in
Six questions boards bring to us
Most mandates start with a question someone has been circling for a year. We help you answer it with evidence, then help you act on it.
212Board mandates completed since 2011, across 14 countries
“What should we stop doing to fund what matters?”
A line-by-line portfolio review that frees budget without breaking the business.
“Is our structure built for the company we're becoming?”
Spans, layers and decision rights redrawn around the strategy, not the org chart.
“What is this company really worth to us?”
An independent view on fit, synergies and integration risk before you bid.
“Are we leaving margin on every contract?”
Price architecture and discount discipline tested on two years of real deals.
“How do we hand over without losing momentum?”
A steady transition plan for founders, chairs and incoming chief executives.
Four practices, one team
Every mandate is led by a partner who stays on it from the first interview to the board vote. No hand-offs to juniors halfway through.
Talk to a partner- 01
Corporate strategy
A clear point of view on where you win, written as five choices your whole leadership team can repeat.
- 02
Growth & market entry
New countries, segments and channels, tested against real demand before a single hire is made.
- 03
Operating model
Structure, governance and decision rights that let the strategy happen without heroics.
- 04
M&A and integration
Target screening, commercial diligence and the first hundred days after the deal closes.
Research · Decision Index 2026
Most boards decide a quarter too late
Every year we ask board members how long their biggest decisions take, from the first paper to a final vote. This year, 318 of them answered.
Read the full report14.2Median weeks from first board paper to a decision, across all sectors
SectorMedian weeks to decide
Survey of 318 board members in 11 countries, March to June 2026. Northwind clients: mandates completed 2024–2026.
We had debated the German launch for eighteen months. Northwind gave the board one page of evidence, and we decided in a morning.
Daniel AshworthChief executive, Calderline Group
From first question to board vote
Twelve weeks on average. Fixed fee, agreed in week zero.
- Step 01
Frame the question
One working session with the CEO and chair to agree exactly what the board must decide.
Week 0 - Step 02
Build the fact base
Interviews, customer research and your own numbers, rebuilt so everyone trusts them.
Weeks 1–4 - Step 03
Test the options
Three real options, each costed and stress-tested with the leadership team.
Weeks 5–9 - Step 04
Decide and mobilise
A board paper, a decision, and a 100-day plan with named owners.
Weeks 10–12
Field notes
All field notes
