An advisory board gives you the thing a great board provides — structured, senior challenge — without directorships, filings or formality. MAXFR designs the mandate, recruits the seats from a curated network of specialist non-executives, and chairs the sessions so they produce decisions, not dinner-party opinions.
The difference between an advisory board and a WhatsApp group of clever friends is structure: a written mandate, the right two-to-four people, a chaired agenda and minutes with owners. With that structure, advisory boards routinely punch at the level of formal boards — without the legal apparatus.
MAXFR builds the whole instrument. The mandate and terms of reference are written first; seats are then matched from the MAXFR network — experienced operators across finance, marketing, technology and sector specialisms — and every session is chaired to the same standard Max applies as a practising chair, currently of MW Equipment and Unsigned Research.
Many clients later convert the structure into a statutory board, seat by seat, once the value is proven. That path is designed in from the start.
What is this board for — growth, capital, AI, succession? A one-page mandate and terms of reference are written and agreed before anyone is recruited.
Two to four specialists matched to your actual gaps from the MAXFR network, interviewed with you. Chemistry is tested before commitment.
Quarterly (or six-weekly) half-day sessions, chaired by Max: papers in advance, debate at altitude, minutes with owners and dates.
Each advisor is reachable between sessions within agreed bounds — counsel when decisions actually happen, not just when the calendar says so.
Once a year the mandate, membership and value are reviewed. Seats rotate as the business's gaps move; the structure can convert to a statutory board when ready.
| Cadence | Quarterly or six-weekly half-day sessions |
| Composition | Chair (Max) plus 2–4 specialist advisors matched to the mandate |
| Commitment | Founder/CEO time: one prepared half-day per session |
| Term | 12-month mandate, reviewed annually; seats rotate as needs change |
Advisory board members in the UK typically work for £1,000–£3,000 per session or a modest retainer; a chaired three-to-four-seat advisory board generally costs meaningfully less than a single senior hire.
Figures are indicative UK market context, not a quotation — every MAXFR engagement is scoped first and priced in a written letter of engagement, with review points both sides can use. For broader numbers, see the NED & chair fees guide.
Which structure fits which problem — and what each costs.
Read →GuideMost of it applies to advisory seats too — role first, person second.
Read →GuideEven an advisory board deserves papers that frame the question.
Read →Five questions if you want structure. One email if you'd rather talk. Either way, a straight answer about what your board needs.