How we started
Pinnacle Consult Advisors began in 2017 when our founder, Marcus Hale, left a Big Four firm because he was tired of selling engagements that ran longer than they needed to. His first client was a 40-person logistics company in Bristol that was growing fast but bleeding cash. Within eight weeks, Marcus identified £95,000 in annual savings by renegotiating three supplier contracts and eliminating a redundant warehouse lease.
Word spread. By 2019 we had a team of four, working across manufacturing, professional services and healthcare. Today we are nine consultants, each with at least a decade of industry experience before joining us. We still operate from the same principle Marcus started with: finish the job as quickly as you can, make the client self-sufficient, and leave.
Mission and values
Our mission is simple: deliver measurable financial improvement to every client we take on. If we cannot see a clear path to at least 3x return on our fees within 12 months, we say so upfront and decline the project.
Honesty over comfort
We tell you what the data says, even when it's uncomfortable. A client once asked us to validate a pet project that was losing £12,000 a month. We recommended shutting it down. They did, and redirected the budget into a product line that grew 34% the following year.
Speed matters
Long projects burn goodwill and budget. We scope tightly, staff appropriately, and aim to hand over a working plan within 10 weeks. Our average engagement length across all project types is 14 weeks.
Ownership of outcomes
We tie a portion of our fee to agreed KPIs whenever the client is open to it. About 60% of our projects include a performance-linked component. When our advice works, we both benefit.
No jargon
Frameworks are useful internally. Clients deserve plain language. Every deliverable we produce is written so a non-specialist board member can read it and act on it the same day.
The people behind the work
Each of our consultants spent at least ten years in operating roles before joining the firm. That means they have sat where you sit and dealt with the same pressures.
Marcus Hale
Founder and lead strategist. Former PwC manager. 18 years in strategy and operations across logistics, retail and healthcare.
Priya Anand
Operations director. Previously ran a 200-person fulfilment centre for an e-commerce brand. Specialises in process redesign and supply chain efficiency.
James Okoro
Senior financial analyst. Chartered accountant (ICAEW). Twelve years in corporate finance, including two years as interim CFO for a £25m turnover manufacturer.
Sarah Llewellyn
Client engagement lead. Managed consulting relationships at Deloitte for nine years. Ensures every project stays on scope, on time and on budget.
Key milestones
2017
Marcus Hale incorporates Pinnacle Consult Advisors and completes the first three engagements, all in the South West of England.
2019
Team grows to four. We complete our 30th project and begin working with NHS-adjacent healthcare providers.
2021
Launched our cash-flow diagnostic service during the pandemic. Helped 14 companies restructure debt and avoid insolvency.
2023
Reached 100 completed engagements. Introduced performance-linked fee structures across most new contracts.
2025
Nine consultants. Expanded into market-entry advisory for companies looking to scale beyond their home region.