Advisory Retainer
Strategic direction without organisational disruption
What it delivers
A senior, independent strategic advisor embedded alongside executive leadership to sharpen decisions, validate direction, and reduce blind spots, without adding operational overhead or permanent cost.
This model is optimised for organisations that already have teams and momentum, but need clearer strategic signal in moments of uncertainty or transition.
Typical enterprise use cases
- Product, experience, or platform strategy recalibration
- AI / agentic initiatives requiring governance and determinism
- Loyalty, identity, and payments strategy alignment
- Design system and experience governance at scale
- External market and regulatory interpretation (EU AI Act, PSD2, eIDAS)
Engagement structure
- 1-2 days per week, fixed cadence
- Executive and leadership sessions
- Rapid review of artefacts (roadmaps, specs, decks, service blueprints)
- Optional monthly executive read-out
Commercial logic
- Pricing model: Monthly retainer
- Typical range: €8k-€15k / month (depending on cadence and scope)
- Budget category: Opex
- Procurement complexity: Low
Risk profile
- Delivery risk: Very low (advisory only)
- Organisational risk: Minimal (no line management)
- Financial risk: Fully predictable, easy to stop or scale
- Value risk: Low; insight compounds over time
Best suited for: Enterprises that want senior challenge, strategic coherence, and decision confidence, without restructuring teams or launching large programmes.
How enterprises typically use this model
Advisory Retainer -> Interim Leadership
When alignment is clear but execution capacity or leadership is missing.
These models are deliberately modular, allowing organisations to increase or reduce commitment without losing continuity or institutional knowledge.