How we work
How an engagement unfolds
From confidential enquiry to succession roadmap — the stages of leadership advisory with Data Services Hub.
Engagement stages
From first call to written roadmap
Every family firm is different; the sequence below is the spine we adapt, not a script we force.
Confidential enquiry
You write or call. We ask about ownership, who is already in the conversation, and whether a deadline is driving the work. If we cannot help, we say so and may suggest another advisor.
Introductory meeting
A sixty-minute conversation — often at Level 9, 48 Willis Street, Wellington 6011, or by video — to hear the family story and the firm’s pressures. No fee for this meeting.
Letter of engagement
We propose scope, milestones, fee, and who must be in the room. You review with your solicitor or accountant if you wish. Work begins only after written acceptance and deposit.
Discovery & individual conversations
We meet owners and next-generation leaders separately before group sessions. Private views surface more honestly when siblings are not yet negotiating in the same room.
Facilitated family sessions
Structured meetings with agendas, ground rules, and written outcomes. We keep the discussion on decisions the family can actually make — roles, timelines, ownership — not endless venting.
Roadmap & handover
You receive a clear succession or governance roadmap, plus recommendations for your lawyer and accountant. Optional retainer support continues if the family council wants an ongoing facilitator.
What we do not do
We do not draft legal share agreements, provide tax advice, or act as directors of your company. We coordinate with the professionals you already trust. We also decline engagements where one family member wants us to persuade others in secret — our work requires transparent mandate from the owners who hold decision rights.