Approach
Clear scope, senior people, documents you can use.
Every engagement is scoped in writing before it starts, and everything we produce is yours to keep.
Three ways to engage
- 01Sprint
One decision, delivered
A short, scoped engagement that ends in one decision-ready document, such as a board paper, a partner selection or a treasury policy. It is the usual starting point.
- 02Program
A defined project
A project such as launching a card or payments product, piloting a digital asset service or preparing a firm for a bank or regulator review, delivered against agreed milestones.
- 03Embedded
Leadership inside your team
Ongoing senior finance and strategy leadership. This is where CFO coverage for fintechs, dealers and trading platforms sits.
How an engagement runs
- 01
Working session
A conversation about what you are trying to do, who is involved and which constraints apply. We sign a non-disclosure agreement first if you ask.
- 02
Written scope
A short proposal with deliverables, timeline, the people on the work and the fee, agreed before we start.
- 03
Delivery
Regular check-ins, early drafts and one point of contact. You see work in progress, not only the final version.
- 04
Handover
Everything we produce is documented and belongs to you, so that your team can run it without us.
What you receive
Written documents, built for your institution. A few examples from each practice.
Strategy
- Board or executive paper
- Business case with unit economics
- Partner and processor scorecard
- Term sheet and negotiation brief
- Pilot plan with exit criteria
Treasury
- Treasury policy
- Control matrix
- Settlement and liquidity map
- Reconciliation and reporting package
Finance and operations
- Monthly reporting pack
- Unit economics model
- Bank due diligence package
- Close calendar with documented controls
Principles
Decisions before technology
We start from the decision your institution has to make, and choose technology afterwards.
Controls before launch
Risk, compliance and audit see the design early, not at the end.
Written down
Options, assumptions and reasoning are documented, so that they can be reviewed and audited.
Handed over
Everything we produce belongs to you, so that your team can run it without us.
Senior people do the work
You deal with the people who will do the work, not a sales team.
We say when we are not the right fit
If another firm or an internal hire suits the need better, we will tell you.
Independence and advisers
Our fees come from our clients. We do not accept referral fees or commissions from banks, processors, custodians, exchanges or technology vendors, so that our advice on selection and terms is yours.
If we have a relationship that could affect our advice on a particular engagement, we tell you before work starts.
We work alongside your counsel, auditors and technology vendors. We do not replace your audit firm, and we do not give legal, tax or investment advice.
Questions
How are engagements priced?
Each engagement is scoped in writing, with the fee agreed before work starts.
Do you sign a non-disclosure agreement?
Yes, before any sensitive discussion, if you ask.
Where do you work?
We are based in Montreal and work with clients across Canada, remotely and on site as the work requires.
What if we are not ready for a full engagement?
A working session is a good place to start. If another firm or an internal hire is a better fit, we will say so.