A non-executive director sits at the table with the same legal duties as the executives — but none of the operational entanglement. The job is constructive challenge: testing the strategy, the numbers and the people decisions before the market does. MAXFR provides that seat — professionally qualified, operator-trained.
The right first NED is usually a generalist with an operator's past: someone who has owned a P&L, hired and exited senior people, and lived with the consequences of board decisions. Max became CEO of a £10m+ design and manufacturing business at 27, leading more than a hundred staff — the kind of background that changes the quality of boardroom questions from 'have you considered…' to 'here's where this plan breaks.'
He has since advised and served boards across manufacturing, services, B2C, IT, design, construction and investment — including community and impact organisations — and holds the NEDonBoard NED Accelerator® Professional Qualification alongside membership of the Institute of Directors. The statutory duties of the role, Companies Act 2006 section 172 included, are taken seriously rather than recited; independence is protected contractually, with no consulting hours smuggled in and no conflicts left undeclared.
Where the business needs a specialist voice instead — finance ahead of a raise, marketing to fix go-to-market, technology for AI — the seat can be matched from the MAXFR network rather than forced to fit.
The strategy, budget and major decisions tested hard — in the room, before they're signed, while changing course is still cheap.
Board basics installed and kept honest: cycle, papers, minutes, conflicts, statutory duties. Quietly, without ceremony.
Founders and senior managers get a confidential, experienced counterweight — somewhere to rehearse the hard calls. Max mentors formally through IoD Mentor Connect; the same craft applies inside the boardroom.
Introductions where they genuinely help: capital, customers, advisers and — when needed — further independent directors.
When a raise, acquisition or dispute lands, the NED leans in: extra sessions, investor scrutiny, steady judgement.
| Cadence | Monthly board attendance plus preparation; ad-hoc counsel between |
| Time commitment | Typically 1–2 days per month, stated in the engagement letter |
| Term | Initial 12 months; reviews at 6 and 12 months |
| Form | Statutory directorship, or advisory NED where formal appointment isn't yet right |
UK SME non-executive directors typically earn £15,000–£40,000 a year for roughly one to two days a month, varying with scale, sector and risk; earlier-stage companies sometimes blend a lower fee with equity.
Figures are indicative UK market context, not a quotation — every MAXFR engagement is scoped first and priced in a written letter of engagement, with review points both sides can use. For broader numbers, see the NED & chair fees guide.
Five questions if you want structure. One email if you'd rather talk. Either way, a straight answer about what your board needs.