About

An independent firm, built by practitioners.

Meridian Advisory Group was founded in London in 2011 by two former Big Four consultants who wanted to do the work they cared about — practical, senior-led advisory for mid-market organisations — without the constraints of a global partnership.

Our story

The firm began with a handful of assignments for former clients. Over the following decade it grew steadily — never aggressively — into an advisory business of around 120 people, with offices in London and Manchester and a network of associate partners across the UK.

We have deliberately kept the shape of the firm consistent: partner-led, delivery focused, and small enough that every engagement receives the attention of someone who has personal accountability for the outcome. We turn away work that does not fit that model.

Today Meridian advises boards, executive teams and investors across the private, public and third sectors. The common thread is complexity — organisations at a point where the right answer is not obvious, and where the cost of getting it wrong is high.

Values

What we hold ourselves to.

Judgement over frameworks

Our clients hire us for experience and independent thinking, not repackaged methodology.

Delivery is the point

Recommendations we cannot help implement are recommendations we do not make.

Small teams, senior people

Every engagement is led by a partner and staffed with practitioners who have run the function they are advising.

Discretion

Much of our best work is not publicly attributable. We are comfortable with that.

Leadership

The partners who lead the firm.

  • James Calder
    Managing Partner

    Founded Meridian in 2011 after fifteen years in transformation practice at a Big Four firm.

  • Sarah Wren
    Operations Director

    Leads engagement quality across the firm and heads the operations improvement practice.

  • David Okafor
    Head of Technology & Data

    Former CIO of a FTSE 250 group; leads the systems migration and data practice.

  • Rachel Hartley
    Head of People

    Chartered HR practitioner advising boards on organisation design and workforce change.

  • Tom Fenwick
    Finance Director

    ACA-qualified; leads finance for the firm and advises on finance transformation work.