About Meridian

Founded by operators, not academics. We've run businesses, made hard calls, and understand what it takes to execute.

Our Story

Built by people who've been in the room.

Meridian Advisory was founded in 2009 by three former C-suite executives who were tired of receiving advice from consultants who'd never actually run a business. We built the firm we wished had existed when we were operators.

Today, Meridian is a boutique consulting group serving mid-market companies across 18 industries. We keep our team deliberately small — a curated bench of 24 senior consultants, each with at least 15 years of operating or advisory experience.

We don't work with every company that comes to us. We take on a limited number of new engagements each quarter and prioritize fit — both problem fit and culture fit — before we sign anything.

Our Approach

Strategy without execution is just a wish list.

Most consultants hand over a deck and disappear. We stay. Our engagements include hands-on implementation support and accountability check-ins to make sure recommendations actually happen.

We measure our success by your outcomes — not the elegance of our slide decks. Every engagement ends with a clear scorecard of results achieved against commitments made.

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Operator Perspective

Every Meridian consultant has held a senior operating role — CEO, CFO, COO, or VP-level. We speak from experience, not theory.

Small Team, Big Access

You work directly with senior consultants, not junior associates. The person who pitches the work is the person who does the work.

Results-Based Accountability

Every engagement defines specific, measurable outcomes upfront. We track them and report transparently — even when results fall short.

Selective Intake

We take on fewer than 12 new engagements per quarter. This keeps quality high and ensures every client gets the attention they deserve.

By The Numbers

17 years. Measurable results.

340+Engagements completed
$2.8BClient revenue influenced
18Industries served
24Senior consultants
97%Client satisfaction rate
Leadership

The people behind the work

Our founding team brings decades of combined operating and advisory experience across industries.

👨🏻‍💼

James Hartwell

Founding Partner & CEO

Former CEO of Vertex Group. 22 years in strategy, operations, and M&A across financial services and technology.

👩🏾‍💼

Dr. Nadia Okafor

Founding Partner, Strategy

Former McKinsey Principal. PhD in Organizational Economics. Leads all growth strategy engagements.

👨🏽‍💼

Rafael Mendez

Partner, Operations

Former COO at two Fortune 500 companies. Specialises in operational transformation and interim leadership.

👩🏼‍💼

Claire Sutton

Managing Director, Finance

Former CFO and investment banker. Leads all financial advisory and M&A due diligence engagements.

Ready to work with us?

Schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to discuss your challenge and whether we're the right partner.

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