At the top, the air is thin, and often lonely. When strategic decisions are due, internal teams often have their own agendas, and external consultants usually have a commercial interest in the follow-on project.
I offer you what is often missing: an independent, radically honest second opinion. As a former General Manager and strategist, I know the pressure of having to decide under uncertainty. I am your sounding board, testing your assumptions, uncovering blind spots and hardening your arguments – discreetly, directly and without consultant platitudes.
Starting point
When you need a sparring partner
This is not about operational help, but about intellectual friction on key decisions:
- Strategy check: “Are we overlooking something fundamental in our growth plan?”
- Succession & governance: “Are we really ready for the generational handover?”
- Crisis & turnaround: “Do we need to restructure, or only optimise?”
- Personal positioning: “How do I reposition myself as CEO or owner in this phase of change?”
Approach
My principle: friction creates clarity
Four principles make the difference between a conversation and genuine sparring:
1. The “uncomfortable truth”
I ask the questions your employees do not dare to ask. We put your hypotheses through their paces. My aim is not harmony, but the best possible decision.
2. Options instead of no alternative
Often the path seems predetermined. We break open that thinking and develop strategic alternatives. Only those who have options can truly decide.
3. Speed & focus
We do not run endless loops of analysis. Our sessions are focused, time-boxed and results-oriented. Often half a day of intensive discussion achieves more than weeks of workshops.
4. Independence
I hold no shares in your company and seek no permanent position. This freedom allows me an objectivity that is barely possible internally.
Outcome
What you gain
Certainty
Validated decisions that stand up to critical questioning.
Clarity
An ordered set of thoughts and clear priorities.
Relief
The knowledge that you have worked through every scenario with an experienced practitioner.
Who it is for
Who it is for
Owners of Swiss SMEs, CEOs and board members who are not looking for a “yes-man”, but for a genuine counterpart as an equal.
Dr. Christoph D. Walser
Founder and Managing Partner · LinkedIn profile
Ready for sparring that creates clarity?
If you are facing an important decision and looking for an independent, radically honest sparring partner, let us talk – discreetly, directly and as equals.
Find out more about my services here: Growth Strategy, Market Entry and Business Transformation.