When the board isn’t working,
everything stalls.
Advisory support for boards, directors and leadership teams on governance frameworks, strategic direction, and board effectiveness.
Board dysfunction doesn’t start with a crisis. It starts with small fractures that compound over time.
Chairs, CEOs and company secretaries see it first – misalignment on strategic direction, governance gaps that become vulnerabilities, directors who underperform or overreach. Left unaddressed, these dynamics degrade decision-making, erode stakeholder confidence, and block the organisation from moving forward decisively.
Boards are not aligned on direction
Competing views on strategy create friction, delay and dysfunction at the highest level.
Governance structures are unclear or absent
Roles and accountabilities blur. Decisions are made without proper oversight or process.
Board performance has plateaued
The same unproductive patterns repeat. No one raises it, so it never improves.
A funding body or investor has required a review
The deadline is set, but there is no clear process or trusted external adviser to manage it.
Governance is not a compliance exercise. It’s about enabling the organisation to make its best decisions, consistently.
Most governance consultants work from templates. Not Denise. She has sat at the board table as a director and as a chair. She has led organisations as chief executive. She has advised boards across corporate, government, professional services and for-purpose sectors for over 30 years.
Her approach is structured where it needs to be, and flexible where it must be. The goal is not just a report – it is a board and leadership team that functions more effectively, makes better decisions, and governs with genuine accountability.
What distinguishes this work
A structured process, tailored to your board
Scoping and framework
Determine the scope, choose the review framework, and agree on the level of granularity appropriate for your board.
Assessment and analysis
Participant surveys, direct observation of board meetings, and confidential interviews to capture the full picture.
Report back and action
Presentation to the board, facilitated workshop to prioritise next steps, and individual confidential feedback where needed.
Tailored advisory for organisations navigating strategic direction, governance design, or capability gaps.
Some governance and strategy challenges do not fit into a board review framework. They are broader, more open-ended, or connected to transformation programs that require sustained external perspective.
This service is designed for organisations that need strategic advisory on governance structures, business capability, transformation oversight, or strategic planning – where the right external adviser makes the difference between well-managed complexity and organisational paralysis.
This advisory is for organisations asking
The outcomes speak for themselves (either new board clients, or repurposed mixed bunch from homepage)
What chairs and CEOs ask before engaging
How disruptive will a board review be?
The process is designed to be time-efficient and respectful of board and executive schedules. Surveys and interviews are scheduled around availability, observation is minimal, and the workshop is typically a half-day commitment. Most boards find the process less disruptive than anticipated – and far more valuable than they expected.
What happens to the confidential feedback?
Individual director feedback is shared privately and confidentially — only with the director themselves, and, where appropriate, with the chair. It is never included in the board-level report unless permission is explicitly given. Confidentiality is foundational to this work.
How much does a board performance review cost?
Investment varies depending on board size, complexity, and the scope of the review. A straightforward review for a small to medium board typically ranges from $8,000 to $15,000 + GST. Denise provides a fixed-price proposal after an initial scoping conversation, so there are no surprises.
What if the board doesn’t agree on the need for a review?
This is one of the most common concerns chairs and CEOs raise. Denise’s experience is that once the purpose and process are clearly explained — and the confidentiality assurances are given — most boards engage constructively. In cases where resistance is strong, a lighter-touch diagnostic or governance advisory session can be an effective starting point.
How is this different from an AICD-facilitated review?
Denise is an AICD-accredited facilitator, so the frameworks and standards applied are consistent with AICD best practice. The difference is depth of sector experience and the tailored nature of the engagement. Where AICD programs are structured and templated, Denise’s approach is flexible, deeply consultative, and informed by three decades of board-level and executive work across multiple sectors.
An effective board is a strategic asset.
An underperforming one is a liability.
Book a confidential conversation with Denise to explore whether a board review or governance advisory engagement is the right step for your organisation.