Retained Board-Level Advisory
Experienced, independent counsel at your board table when it counts – without a permanent hire.
Award-winning board leadership
Recognised by the Institute of Directors and trusted across Wales and beyond.
IoD Wales Non-Executive Director of the Year 2026
Awarded to Marian Evans BEM for outstanding board stewardship and governance.
When judgement matters most
There are times when additional experience around the table makes a material difference.
A strategic reset.
A transformation already underway.
A governance review under real scrutiny.
A board in transition.
Growth, investment or regulatory pressure that leaves little room to get it wrong.
In moments like these, the strongest boards are the ones willing to invite experience and challenge in from outside to support before they’re forced to respond react.
That’s where the right experience changes things – independent, confidential, and already fluent in the boardroom, there to support, challenge and sharpen your thinking exactly when it counts.
Elevate provides retained access to highly experienced Executive and Non-Executive leaders, offering senior support to Chairs, CEOs and Boards.
Why boards choose
Elevate.
Sharing a Board table with Marian is not only a pleasure, it will bring you both organisational success and personal development. Your business will benefit from entrepreneurial drive, strategic thought, balanced risk consideration, targeted questioning, and the ability to go deep where needed.
Liz McKenzie
RemCo Chair and NED
Marian is a first class NED and Chair. She leads in a calm but focused manner, always seeing the big picture, even when having to delve into the detail. Any organisation would significantly benefit from her engagement.
Trevor Barratt
Non-Executive Director
What this looks like in practice
Through a structured monthly retainer, you gain:
Experienced board-level judgement
Independent challenge and perspective
Governance and board effectiveness review
Direct support to CEOs and Chairs
Insight during transformation and change
A steadying, credible presence in high-stakes moments
This is not interim cover. It’s not traditional consultancy. It’s embedded senior advisory support, delivered with discretion and focus.
The calibre of support
Our retained advisors include former:
- CEOs
- Chairs
- Non-Executive Directors
- Sector specialists with deep regulatory and strategic experience
They integrate quickly, read board dynamics well, and operate with discretion and sound judgement.
Who we work with
Whether you’re a Chair seeking sharper challenge at board level, a CEO navigating scale or transition, or a board strengthening its governance, this is built for the situations that test leadership:
Chairs who want real depth and challenge around the table
CEOs navigating complexity, scale or transition
Boards raising their governance and effectiveness
Organisations preparing for growth, investment or external scrutiny
Leadership teams steering significant change
Engagements are selective, and capacity is intentionally limited. The depth of support depends on it.
How engagements work
Each engagement is built around:
- A clear monthly retainer
- Defined scope aligned to your organisational priorities
- Regular, structured input
- Availability at critical decision points
Designed to strengthen leadership capability without expanding permanent headcount.
Ready to elevate the conversation around the table?
The strongest leaders don’t wait for a crisis to find the right counsel. They build the relationship before they need it – so when the moment comes, the experience is already in place.
Let’s start with one conversation, in confidence, to explore whether it’s the right fit.