Six industry professionals launch The Chair Consultancy

The firm has been set up by long-time strategy, design and marketing consultant Matt Smith, owner of WPB and strategy consultant and editor of Future Housing.

Six industry professionals launch The Chair Consultancy

Six experienced industry professionals have formed a joint consultancy service to lender boardrooms under the name The Chair Consultancy.

The firm has been set up by long-time strategy, design and marketing consultant Matt Smith, owner of WPB and strategy consultant and editor of Future Housing. Other members include Landbay chairman Tony Ward and Sarah Davidson, knowledge and product editor at This is Money and the MailOnline.

There is also Stephen Smith, former director of housing at Legal & General, Lynda Blackwell, former mortgage sector manager at the Financial Conduct Authority and housing economist and non-executive director at Bath Building Society Fionnuala Earley.

Matt Smith, managing director of the chair, said: “Business is facing more issues and complexity than ever before and the time is right for an organisation like this. We are offering a new model for accessing this kind of expertise and experience.

“The consultancy market is full of companies that can help you with how to achieve certain ends but far fewer that can help you decide ‘what’ you should be doing.

“Our experts cover everything from regulation to distribution, from funding to technology, from consumer behaviour and requirements to developments in housing policy.

“Clients tell us what areas they want to address and we tailor a day to meet that brief with the relevant experts and give answers that are specific to that business.”

Ward is an experienced chief executive and chairman at a range of mortgage lenders and is director at Fortris, Bank of Clients PLC and chief executive at Home Funding.

Earley has been head of residential research at Hamptons International, Countrywide chief economist, Nationwide chief economist and RBS economist.

Each expert brings to the boardroom a unique perspective on a client’s business and delivers a bespoke boardroom away-day experience for executive and non-executive directors, designed around that institution’s particular areas of concern.

The Chair Consultancy launched at the House of Lords earlier this week during an inaugural annual dinner where guests from a wide background in financial services and contingent experts discussed themes affecting the industry with a focus on technology.