Hire Business Advisors Across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore & Hong Kong
Senior advice from people who have actually done it. Maestro connects organisations with vetted business advisors - former CEOs, board directors, founders and top specialists, each with a minimum of 10 to 20 years' real-world experience - ready to sharpen your thinking, pressure-test your plans and help you make the big calls with confidence.
What is a business advisor?
A business advisor is a senior, independent professional who gives an organisation's leaders expert guidance on strategy, growth, governance and the decisions that matter most. Advisors typically work a few hours to two days per month - through regular sessions, an advisory board seat or a defined advisory project. They shape the thinking. Your team does the doing.
Some advisors are former CEOs, founders and board directors who have built, scaled, sold or turned around businesses. Others are top specialists with deep mastery of a discipline such as finance, technology, AI, brand, people or international expansion. What unites them is experience, not title. Every advisor in the Maestro community has a minimum of 10 to 20 years' real-world experience, and has sat in the chair you are sitting in now.
The advisory model exists because the hardest problems in business are rarely about effort. They are about judgement. Most leaders do not need another full-time hire to solve them. They need the right person in the room at the right moment - someone who has seen this movie before, knows how it ends and has no agenda other than helping you win.
Advice from a few hours a month
1,000+ vetted Maestros, selected from 25,000+ applications.
Independent, senior advice for leaders and boards
From a few hours to two days per month
Minimum 10 to 20 years' real-world senior experience
Ad-hoc sessions, monthly retainers, advisory boards, project advisory, board roles
Shortlist typically within 24 to 48 hours of a brief
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong, expanding into the UAE, UK and USA
Why organisations choose advisors
You do not need to learn every lesson the hard way. An advisor brings the pattern recognition that only comes from decades of building, scaling and fixing businesses - and applies it to your situation from the very first conversation.
Inside a business, it is hard to see the frame you are standing in. An independent advisor has no politics to play and no empire to protect. They tell you what they see, ask the questions nobody else will, and help you see the blind spots before they become expensive.
Most strategic questions need senior thinking for a few hours a month, not 40 hours a week. An advisor gives you access to that level of judgement at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive - and without adding to permanent headcount.
The most expensive mistakes in business are the big ones - the wrong market, the wrong hire, the wrong deal, the wrong timing. Pressure-testing those calls with someone who has made them before is one of the highest-return investments a leadership team can make.
The right advisor signals maturity. Investors, lenders, acquirers and enterprise customers look for experienced people around the table. A well-chosen advisor or advisory board strengthens your story and opens doors through their network.
It can be lonely at the top. CEOs and founders carry decisions they cannot always share with their team. An advisor is in your corner - a trusted, confidential sounding board who helps you think clearly when the stakes are high.
When organisations engage an advisor
Setting or Resetting Strategy
Get clear on where to play and how to win - with a strategic advisor who has shaped strategy in businesses like yours and can help the leadership team commit to a plan, not just talk about one.
Strengthening Governance and Board Performance
Lift the quality of board conversations, reporting and risk oversight - with a board advisor or non-executive director who knows what good governance looks like in practice.
Preparing to Raise Capital
Get investor-ready with an advisor who has raised money, sat on the other side of the table and knows what investors, PE firms and lenders actually look for in the story, the numbers and the team.
Entering a New Market
Expand into Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong or ASEAN - or out of Asia Pacific into the UK, UAE or USA - with an advisor who has operated in those markets and knows the people, the rules and the pitfalls.
Building an Advisory Board
Stand up an advisory board that adds real value, not just logos on a slide - with experienced advisors matched to the gaps in your leadership team and the next stage of growth.
Navigating Rapid Growth
Get ahead of the things that break as you scale - with an advisor who has taken businesses through the same growth stages and can help you prioritise what matters now.
Preparing for Sale, Merger or Succession
Maximise value and minimise surprises - with an advisor who has led exits, acquisitions and leadership transitions and knows how to prepare a business, and its people, for what comes next.
Adopting AI and New Technology
Make confident technology and AI decisions - with an advisor who can cut through the hype, connect the technology to commercial outcomes and help the business choose the right platforms and partners.
Supporting a New CEO or Founder
Accelerate a first-time CEO or founder with a seasoned advisor who has led before - helping them build confidence, judgement and a leadership rhythm that sticks.
Types of Business Advisors Available Through Maestro
Maestro matches organisations with advisors across every core leadership and specialist area - from strategy, governance and growth to finance, technology and international expansion. Every advisor is matched to the specific challenge, stage and culture of your organisation.
Strategic Advisor
A senior strategist to bring clarity, focus and direction to the big decisions - without the cost of a full-time strategy executive or a big-firm consulting team.
Helps with: strategy development, business planning, portfolio choices, strategic reviews
Board Advisor & Non-Executive Director
An experienced director to strengthen governance, board performance and oversight - bringing independent judgement to the boardroom.
Helps with: board effectiveness, governance frameworks, risk oversight, board composition
Advisory Board Member
A seasoned operator to join your advisory board and add expertise, accountability and networks - without the legal duties of a statutory board seat.
Helps with: advisory board setup, quarterly strategy sessions, investor credibility, introductions
CEO & Founder Advisor
A trusted sounding board for the person at the top - a former CEO or founder who helps you lead with confidence through growth, pressure and change.
Helps with: leadership decisions, first-time CEO support, founder transitions, executive team dynamics
Growth & Go-to-Market Advisor
A commercial leader to sharpen your growth strategy, market focus and revenue engine - from someone who has built one before.
Helps with: go-to-market strategy, pricing, sales and marketing models, customer insight
Finance & Capital Advisor
A senior finance leader to strengthen commercial decision-making, investor readiness and financial governance at board level.
Helps with: capital raising readiness, financial strategy, unit economics, board reporting
Technology & AI Advisor
A senior technology leader to guide the decisions that shape your platforms, data and AI - connecting technology choices to business outcomes.
Helps with: AI strategy, technology roadmaps, platform selection, digital transformation
People, Culture & Leadership Advisor
A people and culture leader to strengthen your organisation design, leadership capability and the culture that holds it all together.
Helps with: organisation design, leadership development, culture change, future of work
Operations & Scale Advisor
An experienced operator to help build the systems, processes and rhythm a business needs to scale without breaking.
Helps with: operating models, scaling infrastructure, efficiency, transformation programmes
Market Entry & International Expansion Advisor
A local operator to guide your entry into a new market - in Asia Pacific, the UK, the UAE or the USA - with real on-the-ground knowledge.
Helps with: market assessment, entry strategy, local partnerships, regional structures
M&A, Exit & Succession Advisor
A senior advisor who has led deals and transitions, to help you prepare the business, the numbers and the people for a sale, merger or change of leadership.
Helps with: exit readiness, acquisition strategy, integration, succession planning
Industry Advisor
A sector specialist with deep experience in your industry - from financial services and healthcare to retail, energy, technology and professional services.
Helps with: industry insight, regulatory context, sector networks, competitive positioning
Don't see the advisor you need? Many of Maestro's most in-demand advisors work across several of these areas. Speak to the team about your specific challenge.
How Advisory Engagements Work
There is no one-size-fits-all way to work with an advisor. Maestro shapes the engagement around the question you need answered and the rhythm that suits your business.
Engagement model
Typical commitment
Best for
From Brief to Advice in Days, Not Months
01
Brief
Tell us the question, the context and the outcome you are after. The more specific, the better.
02
Scout
We search the Maestro community for advisors who have solved this exact challenge before. Typically within 24 to 48 hours.
03
Select
We present a shortlist of three to five advisors tailored to your brief. You meet them. You choose.
04
Onboard
We handle contracts, confidentiality and kick-off, so your advisor is adding value from the first conversation.
05
Advise
We stay close throughout and adapt as your needs evolve - from a single session to an advisory board, a fractional role or beyond.
Advisor, Fractional Expert, Interim Executive or Consultant: Which Do You Need?
Each model solves a different problem. Here is how they compare, so you can bring in the right kind of expertise for the moment you are in.
Model
Typical commitment
What they do
Best when
Not sure which model fits? Many Maestro engagements start with an advisor and evolve into a fractional or interim role as the need becomes clear. Speak to the team and we will help you work it out.
Why Organisations Choose Maestro for Business Advisors
Every Maestro advisor has a minimum of 10 to 20 years' real-world experience at a senior level. They have led businesses, sat on boards, raised capital, built teams and made the hard calls themselves. Their advice comes from doing, not from a slide deck.
The Maestro community is 1,100+ strong, selected from more than 25,000 applications. We stay deliberately selective, because the quality of an advisor's judgement is the whole point.
Maestro is not a directory where you scroll profiles and hope for the best. We take the brief, understand the context, the culture and the people involved, and match you with the advisor who fits - not just the CV that fits.
Big decisions rarely wait. Maestro typically presents a shortlist within 24 to 48 hours of a brief, so you can have the right advisor in the room before the moment passes.
Maestro manages contracts, confidentiality and onboarding end-to-end. You focus on the conversation. We handle the nuts and bolts that make it work.
As your needs evolve, so can the engagement - from a single session to an advisory board, a fractional expert, an interim executive or a full team. One relationship, the right expertise at every stage.
Built for Organisations Across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore & Hong Kong
Maestro supports organisations that want senior, independent advice without the cost, commitment or timeline of a permanent executive hire. Our advisor community spans Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Auckland, Wellington, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as regional markets across Australia and New Zealand.
Business advisors through Maestro are particularly well-suited to:
Startups and Founders
Surround yourself with people who have built before - advisors who help you avoid the classic mistakes, get investor-ready and make smarter calls with limited runway.
Scale-Ups and High-Growth Companies
Add senior judgement around the leadership team as the business outgrows its early playbook - without stacking up permanent executive costs.
PE-Backed and Investor-Backed Businesses
Give portfolio companies access to experienced operators and board-level advisors who drive value creation against a clear investment thesis.
Family and Founder-Led Businesses
Bring in independent perspective on strategy, governance and succession - with advisors who respect what you have built and help you plan for what comes next.
Mid-Market Businesses Navigating Change
Get targeted senior advice through a transformation, restructure, acquisition or new strategy - without adding to permanent headcount.
Consulting and Advisory Firms
Extend your bench with senior subject matter advisors who can support client mandates, strengthen proposals and add credibility to your team.
Business Advisors Across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore & Hong Kong
Australia
The region's largest advisor market - deep communities of former CEOs, board directors and specialist advisors across Sydney and Melbourne, with active communities in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
New Zealand
Experienced advisors supporting founders, scale-ups and organisations preparing to expand into Australia and international markets.
Singapore
Asia's most dynamic advisory market - strategic advisors for startups, scale-ups and regional headquarters managing multi-market ASEAN operations.
Hong Kong
Advisors with deep experience across financial services, professional services, fintech and regional headquarters managing Asia Pacific and Greater China operations.
Already based in one of these markets and looking for advisors to help you enter Australia, New Zealand, Singapore or Hong Kong? We can help today. Speak to the team.
Frequently Asked Questions - Business Advisors
A business advisor is a senior, independent professional who guides an organisation's leaders on strategy, growth, governance and major decisions. Advisors typically work a few hours to two days per month through regular sessions, an advisory board or a defined project. Every Maestro advisor brings a minimum of 10 to 20 years' real-world senior experience.
A business advisor helps leaders make better decisions. That can mean shaping strategy, pressure-testing plans, preparing for a capital raise, strengthening governance, guiding market entry or acting as a confidential sounding board for the CEO. Advisors guide the thinking; the organisation's own team does the execution.
Advisory fees in Australia typically range from AUD $500 to $1,500 per hour for ad-hoc sessions, and AUD $2,000 to $8,000 per month for an ongoing advisory retainer of a few hours to two days per month. Advisory board seats commonly range from AUD $1,500 to $5,000 per month. Some startup advisors also take a small equity stake. Fees depend on seniority, scope and commitment.
A business advisor guides leaders on strategy and decisions over time, usually for a few hours a month. An independent consultant is engaged to deliver a defined piece of work or project outcome. Advisors shape the direction. Consultants deliver the work.
A business advisor provides strategic guidance for a few hours to two days per month, while the team executes. A fractional expert works one to three days per week, embeds in the team and holds accountability for running a function, such as a fractional CFO or a CMO.
Read more: Fractional Experts
A board of directors has legal and fiduciary duties to govern the company. An advisory board has no legal authority or statutory duties. It provides expert guidance, challenge and networks to the leadership team. Many growing businesses set up an advisory board before appointing independent non-executive directors.
A business should consider an advisor when it faces a high-stakes decision it has not made before - setting strategy, raising capital, entering a new market, scaling fast, preparing for sale or succession, or adopting AI. It is also the right move when leaders want an independent sounding board without adding a full-time executive.
Look for someone who has solved your exact challenge before, at a similar stage and scale. Check for relevant industry or market experience, a working style that fits your culture, and the independence to tell you hard truths. Maestro handles this matching for you, based on a detailed brief.
Maestro typically presents a shortlist of three to five matched advisors within 24 to 48 hours of a brief. Many advisory engagements begin within a week, compared with the months a traditional executive search can take.
Yes. Many Maestro advisory engagements evolve as needs become clear - into an advisory board seat, a non-executive director role, a fractional expert engagement or an interim executive role. Starting with an advisor is a low-risk way to test fit before a bigger commitment.
Both spellings are correct. "Advisor" is more common in business and startup settings, while "adviser" is often used by government and in regulated financial advice. Maestro uses "advisor" for strategic and business advisory roles.
No. Maestro advisors provide strategic and commercial business advice. They do not provide personal financial product advice, legal advice or tax advice, which in Australia and other markets must come from appropriately licensed professionals.
Maestro's advisor community is based in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong, and is expanding into the UAE, UK and USA. Businesses from any market looking to enter Asia Pacific can engage Maestro advisors today.
We're Here to Help
Get the right advice at the right time to drive your organisation forward.
Access the right advice, exactly when it matters
Whether you need a sharper strategy, a stronger board, a smarter capital raise or a trusted sounding board for the big calls, Maestro connects you with proven business advisors - former CEOs, directors, founders and top specialists - without the cost and commitment of a full-time hire. You've got the questions. We've got the people who have answered them before, across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong, and soon the UAE, UK and USA.