Trusted Advisor for High-Stakes People Decisions
Strategic Clarity for CHROs and Board Members
When the stakes are high—whether you’re transforming an organization, planning leadership transitions, or aligning governance—I help senior leaders move from pressure to precision, with evidence-based insight and calm authority.
Featured in Harvard Business Review
In our latest article, I follow a transformation at a major bank show why even well-planned transformations fail—and how to fix them using motivation science.
➡️ 200% ROI in intervention at the major US bank
➡️ Evidence from 4,300+ employees across 20 firms
➡️ A 5-step playbook to unlock results when “best practices” fall short.
How I work
In my advisory work, I collaborate with a small number of boards, CHROs, and consulting partners navigating high-stakes people decisions. My role is to bring strategic clarity, discretion, and research-backed insight to the moments that shape an organization’s future.
I’ve advised Google’s HR leadership in APAC on team adaptability, led multi-year resilience workshops at Toyota, and co-invented a patented AI tool with a venture-backed firm.
In every engagement, the aim is the same: to help senior leaders move from pressure to strategic traction—calmly, decisively, and with evidence in hand.
Trusted By:
The Strategic Catalyst Partnership
I work with boards, CHROs, and consulting partners as a discreet advisor on high-stakes people decisions—from succession planning to organizational transformation and leadership alignment.
Depending on the urgency and scope, we can begin in one of three ways.
Focused Clarity
Focused Diagnostic
A focused engagement to quickly get to the heart of a leadership or organizational challenge.
Best for:
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Clarifying roles, structures, or decision bottlenecks
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Pressure-testing workforce or operating model assumptions
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Urgent leadership team misalignment or execution friction
⏱ 1–2 weeks | Structured, confidential, fast
Ongoing Partnership
Strategic Retainer
Flexible access to high-level support for organizational design, transformation, and people-critical strategy.
Best for:
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Workforce strategy and operating model design
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Transformation planning and executive alignment
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Governance, CEO effectiveness, and board decision
📅 3–6 months | 2–6 days/month | Flexible, focused, embedded
Strategic Firepower
Consulting Partnership
Senior-level support for consulting firms needing help to shape, win, or deliver complex client work.
Best for:
- Designing proposals or strategic workshops
- Co-developing frameworks or whitepapers
- Enhancing executive credibility on people topics
🤝 Flexible | Behind-the-scenes or client-facing
Meet Nicolas: Professor and Strategic Advisor on High-Stakes People Decisions
I advise boards, CHROs, and consulting partners on high-stakes people decisions—especially during leadership transitions, misalignment, or stalled transformations.
Over the past 15+ years, I’ve supported Fortune 500s and scale-ups—most notably redesigning the HR model of a €45B global group, saving €8–10M annually and aligning executive KPIs. I also co-invented a US-patented AI assessment used to target employee transformation initiatives with greater precision.
Earlier, I advised global clients at McKinsey and Roland Berger. Today, I’m a tenure-track professor in organizational psychology at Carlos III and teach at IE Business School. My research on transformation, governance and CEO selection has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Organization Science and presented at Oxford, IE, and Berkeley.
I split my time between Madrid and Switzerland and work closely with a small number of senior clients—quietly helping them clarify, align, and lead when it matters most.
My Latest Publications & Guides
Let’s Talk Strategic Clarity
If you’re navigating a high-stakes people challenge—succession, transformation, or executive alignment—let’s explore if a strategic partnership makes sense.
I personally review each inquiry within 48 hours.