What I can discuss, and what I must decline

Two kinds of letter are most useful to me. The first comes from a nominating chair or search firm with a specific seat in mind at a US-listed industrial business outside vehicle supply, ideally one wrestling with a spin-off, a large purchase, an ageing product family or a plant network that trade policy has unsettled. Name the company and the committee, give me the board calendar, and list any dealings it has with Tallisford, our customers, our suppliers or Corrander Capital Partners; I run my own conflicts check before agreeing to meet anyone. The second comes from fellow strategists and directors comparing experience of capacity bets, divestitures or rules of origin, or from boards and investor groups planning a session on those subjects.

Some topics are closed. Tallisford's unreleased results, live customer negotiations, deals in progress and every other piece of material non-public detail stay inside the company, and I take no calls about buying or selling its shares. Recruiters offering executive roles will receive a polite no. Use the details on this page; replies come from me, normally inside seven days.