Executive Advisor

Decision-Making,
Leadership & Complexity

I work with CEOs and leadership teams facing complex, high-stakes decisions under pressure.

Supporting critical decisions, leadership transitions, and moments where clarity is limited and the cost of getting it wrong is high.

I typically work with start-ups, scale-ups, and organisations navigating growth, transition, or instability.

Trusted by CEOs and leadership teams in high-growth and complex environments.

When

it matters most

I am typically brought in when:

  • Growth is happening, but direction is not fully clear

  • Decisions carry weight, but the path forward is uncertain

  • Organisations are navigating change, tension, or misalignment

  • There is pressure to move, but not enough clarity to do so well

These are the moments where stepping back to understand what is really going on changes the outcome of critical decisions.

About

Mar Pallàs Poy

My work focuses on how leaders make decisions in complex, high-pressure environments.Over the past 20 years, I have worked in international, high-growth contexts, working closely with CEOs and leadership teams on critical decisions, scaling challenges, and organisational transformation.I have experience with start-ups, scale-ups, and organisations navigating periods of change, including restructuring, leadership transitions, and situations where clarity is limited and the stakes are high.Having worked across multiple markets and cultures, I bring a global perspective on how organisations operate and how decisions are shaped within them.My work is not about giving answers, but about helping leaders see more clearly and make better decisions in moments that matter.

Credentials

IESE Business School PLD
IESE Business School - Leadership Coaching Programme
EMCC Senior Practitioner
ORSC - Organisation & Relationship Systems Coaching
Positive Intelligence Coaching

Most leadership problems are not strategic.

They are systemic.
They are shaped by the conditions under which people operate.

Decisions fail not because of a lack of intelligence or data,
but because of the conditions in which they are made.

Most work on leadership tends to focus on strategy and execution.My work focuses on something more fundamental:

the conditions in which decisions are made.

Because improving decisions is not only about what you know, but about the system you are operating within and the state from which you decide.

This is what I focus on

Supporting leaders in making complex, high-stakes decisions under pressure.

Supporting complex, high-stakes decisions in high-pressure environments.

  • Navigating ambiguity

  • Challenging assumptions

  • Improving clarity and judgment

Organisational systems

Understanding how systems influence behaviour, performance and outcomes.

  • Structure and incentives

  • Hidden dynamics

  • Systemic constraints

Conditions for thinking

Examining the conditions that enable or limit clear thinking.

  • Cognitive load and fatigue

  • Pace and pressure

  • Environment and context

Where

I typically work

I work primarily with start-ups, scale-ups, and organisations navigating growth, transition, or instability; where decisions are complex, consequences are significant, and the path forward is not always clear.This often includes:

  • Periods of rapid growth or scaling

  • Leadership transitions or changes in direction

  • Organisational restructuring or instability

  • Situations where pace, pressure, and ambiguity are high

How

I work

I work in a small number of situations where clarity, judgement, and decision-making are critical.

Advisory and consulting

Supporting leadership teams in navigating complex decisions, organisational challenges, and critical transitions.

Executive coaching

Working one-to-one with senior leaders to improve clarity, judgment, and decision-making under pressure.

Fractional leadership

Operating within organisations in leadership roles (CEO/GM) to support critical decisions and stabilise systems during periods of change.

Discuss

your situation

If you are facing a complex decision, leadership transition, or a situation where clarity matters, feel free to get in touch.I work in a small number of situations where the stakes are high and the outcome matters.