Senior counsel on retainer

A senior partner on call, from growing the business to the sustainability detail.

A standing retainer for the hard calls in front of you, from growth and strategy to the sustainability detail, without the cost or commitment of a hire. You bring the decision. I bring the judgement of someone who built and sold a business and stayed close to the technical work.

Discuss a retainer

Some decisions need a senior outside view

There is a set of calls a leadership team would rather not make alone: a claim that could attract scrutiny, a target that has to be set with a straight face, a question from the board that needs a credible answer. None of them justifies a hire or a large consulting engagement, and all of them are easier with a senior person who already knows your context.

This is a retainer built for that. You have me on call when something urgent comes up, and we keep a regular rhythm of check-ins so the planning stays strategic and well informed. I am there for the peaks as well as the routine planning and execution.

This is not a new role for me. For two decades I have been the person founders and executives call when a decision needs a senior, independent view, from early-stage start-ups to ASX-listed companies and global multinationals. The retainer makes that arrangement explicit.

The risk of being the least informed in the room

Your customers, investors, and partners are now well across what real sustainability looks like, and many have built the capability in-house. The exposure is sitting across the table less informed than the people you are trying to win, in a meeting you rarely get a second go at. Most customers will not tell you to your face that you did not clear the bar, they just go quieter.

A retainer keeps your team ahead of that conversation. We prepare for the meetings that matter and sharpen the position, and where it helps I take the technical questions directly so your team is not the most exposed voice in the room. The point is a team that can hold these conversations on its own rather than lean on outside help every time, with a clear view of where to take sustainability and impact next and how to put the risks and opportunities in front of the board.

Why me

Built the business, kept the detail

I built a sustainability consultancy from two people to more than 100 across four countries and saw it acquired by RSK Group in 2024, and I never handed off the technical work along the way. So you get strategic judgement and the ability to read what sits under a claim, from the same person, without a layer in between.

Built and exited
Founder and CEO of a sustainability firm of 100+ people, acquired by RSK Group in 2024.
Technical depth
Certified LCA practitioner and approved EPD verifier, still close to the detail.
Standing
UNEP Life Cycle Initiative Steering Committee. EPD Australasia TAG. Past President of ALCAS.
What the retainer covers

Senior judgement you can draw on

How it works

A simple rhythm

OnboardingA short session to understand your business, your context, and the decisions on the horizon.
A monthly rhythmRegular contact, with access in between for the calls that cannot wait.
A stated response timeYou know how quickly I will come back to you, agreed up front.
An easy off-rampThe arrangement should earn its place each month. If it stops doing that, you can stop.
The promise

Defined access and a reliable response time, so you always know what you can call on.

No surprise invoices. It is a standing retainer, easy to start and easy to leave, and you keep your own team throughout.

How I cost it

A monthly retainer

The retainer is typically $5,000 a month. That covers ongoing access, a regular rhythm of tactical and strategic sessions, and capacity for the peak periods when you need more. The fee is agreed before we start and stays the same each month, so there is nothing to reconcile and no meter running in the background.

Fees exclude GST.

Further reading

On the record

Questions

Frequently asked

Is this a fractional CSO role?

No. It is a retainer you draw on as needed. You keep your own team and bring me the decisions where an outside senior view helps.

What does the retainer cover?

Strategic sustainability questions, claim and target sense-checks, and board and leadership-team input. It is senior counsel and judgement, with any delivery referred to Edge Impact as a partner.

How does access work?

We agree a monthly rhythm and a response time up front, so you know when you can reach me and how quickly I will come back to you.

What if I need the work built?

Where a decision turns into delivery, that is referred to Edge Impact as a partner. The retainer stays focused on judgement, which keeps it independent.

How is it priced?

A monthly retainer, typically $5,000, covering ongoing access, a regular rhythm of working sessions, and capacity for peak periods. Agreed up front, the same every month, with no surprise invoices.

Can I stop easily?

Yes. There is a simple off-ramp. The arrangement should earn its place each month, and it is easy to leave when it stops doing that.

Want a senior view you can call on?

Tell me about your business and the decisions on the horizon, and we can size a retainer that fits.

Discuss a retainer
Evidence over aspiration