When accountants should appoint a Non-Executive Director

Partners are often asked for “someone who can sit on the board” when a client is scaling, selling, raising, succeeding a founder, or cleaning up finance. This briefing is what you can attach to that email. It says when a NED is the right product, what happens in the first 90 days, and — as important — what R W Progressive will not do to your client relationship.

When to put a NED in (and when not to)

A NED is useful when the owner needs an independent adult in the room, not another pair of hands. A structural event is coming: succession or retirement, sale, PE / VC or other investment, refinance, acquisition, merger or a serious restructure. The numbers are no longer safe to take on trust — late packs, a weak FD, cash surprises, HMRC or bank tension, or a board that only hears good news. The owner is still the operating system: growth, pricing and people all wait for one diary.

The firm may also want a repeatable advisory offer for clients — a NED seat with a defined cadence — rather than open-ended consultancy days.

Do not appoint a NED to write the marketing plan, run payroll, or replace the CEO. That is an executive hire or a project. Jayesh will say so.

What is in it for the professional adviser

A growing client, therefore higher fees. More opportunity for corporate finance, commercial finance, virtual FD work, management accounts and genuine advisory. A higher-value client. Greater client satisfaction. None of that requires you to give up being the adviser of record.

The first 90 days, in brief

Typical Chair / NED cadence is about 24 days a year. The first quarter is denser. Days 1–30: listen with documents, and one conversation with you so the existing relationship is not cut across. Days 30–60: a short KPI set the board can see between meetings; agree what is reserved to the board versus the CEO; flag the risks that would embarrass everyone in diligence. Days 60–90: a proper board meeting. If the brief is PE-prep, sale or succession, the output is a board that can stand a buyer’s questions — not a strategy slide deck.

What Jayesh will not do

He will not bid against you for the compliance, tax, audit or transaction mandate. He will not become a shadow CEO, a part-time FD, or a marketing agency. He will not bury bad numbers to keep the room comfortable. He will not fill the diary with workshops. He will not take a seat where he cannot be independent — including where the diary is already full.

How to use this with a client

Forward this page or the PDF. If they want a conversation, introduce by email and stay on the thread. Best-fit clients: owner-managed and mid-market businesses in reach of Bolton (or remote), especially construction, services, specialist trades, agencies and media / technology — and any firm whose client is approaching capital, succession or a finance-function problem.