Advisory
Experienced judgment for decisions that define a company's future
Liam Mallon applies three decades of hard-won expertise — in capital allocation, strategic direction, transformational change, operational and strategic risk management at global scale, and the development of leaders who perform at the highest level — directly to the CEOs, boards, and leaders who need it most.
Founded by Liam Mallon — Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group & former President, ExxonMobil Upstream Company
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The situations where Liam's expertise is most valuable
Liam works with a small number of clients at any time — directly, personally, and without delegation. The situations where his expertise is most valuable are those where the decision is consequential, the downstream effects are hard to reverse, and the quality of judgment, sequencing, and governance will determine the outcome. He also works with leaders who want to perform at their best when the stakes are highest.
Making a high-stakes strategic decision that will be difficult to reverse
Deciding where to place capital and what not to fund
Leading an organization through a major transformation or sustained period of uncertainty
Managing strategic and operational risk at global scale
Navigating the move from asset-light growth to capital-intensive scale
Aligning the CEO, board, and leadership team around a defining choice
Shaping a portfolio through acquisition, divestment, spin-off, or new venture launch
Developing leaders who can perform at the highest level under pressure
Sectors
Where the experience transfers
Liam's expertise — in capital governance, transformational change, strategic and operational risk management, and decision-making under uncertainty — was forged in one of the world's most demanding operating environments: the global oil and gas industry. Few industries place greater demands on capital discipline, risk governance, and the quality of leadership judgment.
Liam is primarily interested in providing services in non-oil-and-gas sectors. The disciplines built in that industry — capital governance, risk management, strategic judgment, and leadership under pressure — transfer directly to the sectors below.
Industrials & Manufacturing
Infrastructure & Utilities
Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Financial Services & Insurance
Sponsor-Backed Portfolio Companies
Engagements
Selected engagement types
CEO and Board Advisory
Direct advisory to the CEO and board on the decisions that define a company's trajectory. Judgment, sequencing, and governance at the highest level — from someone who has navigated those moments at scale.
Transformational Change and Risk Management
Advisory for organizations navigating large-scale transformation or periods of sustained uncertainty — where the governance of risk, the sequencing of change, and the alignment of leadership are as important as the strategy itself. Developed through direct experience managing strategic and operational risk at global scale.
Strategic Inflection Points
Engagements built around a specific consequential decision — where the right framing, the right sequence, and the right counsel can change the outcome.
Portfolio and Capital Allocation
Advisory on where to invest, what to exit, and how to sequence capital deployment across a portfolio or business unit.
Executive Coaching and Leadership Development
Working directly with senior leaders and leadership teams to build the judgment, resilience, and decision-making capability that high-stakes roles demand. A dimension of the firm's work that reflects a genuine commitment to helping leaders be their best.
Context
Representative situations
A board and CEO facing a major capital allocation choice
Where to invest, what to exit, and how to sequence decisions across a portfolio or business — with the stakes high and the downstream consequences hard to reverse.
A company launching a new venture or spin-off
Navigating the governance, capital, and leadership decisions that determine whether a new entity is set up to succeed from the start.
An organization leading a major transformation
Where the scale and pace of change creates compounding risk — operational, strategic, and organizational — and the quality of governance, sequencing, and leadership alignment will determine whether the transformation succeeds.
A business managing strategic and operational risk at scale
Where the risk landscape is complex, globally distributed, and consequential — and the organization needs experienced judgment on how to govern, sequence, and communicate risk decisions at the highest level.
A business moving from capital-light to capital-intensive
Where the investment pace, risk profile, governance requirements, and execution demands change fundamentally — and the leadership team needs better frameworks for decision-making.
A CEO and board preparing for a major acquisition or divestment
Where the strategic logic, sequencing, and governance of the transaction will shape the company's trajectory for years.
A senior leader preparing for the next level of responsibility
Where the demands of the role are changing — and the leader needs a trusted, experienced partner to develop the judgment, presence, and resilience that high-stakes leadership requires.
Discreet by design
All inquiries and engagements are treated with complete discretion. Liam does not publicize client relationships.
Selective engagement
Liam takes on a limited number of engagements at any time. This is intentional — depth of engagement matters more than breadth.
Personal and direct
Every engagement is led by Liam personally. There is no team, no delegation, no junior staff. His judgment and expertise are the engagement.
The Firm
Liam Mallon
Liam Mallon is the founder of Emerald Energy Works and a Senior Advisor to Boston Consulting Group. Over more than three decades leading large-scale, globally complex businesses — most recently as President of ExxonMobil Upstream Company — he developed a depth of expertise in strategic judgment, capital governance, and leadership that he now applies directly in an advisory capacity.
That expertise — in capital governance, strategic clarity, leading transformational change, managing operational and strategic risk at global scale, and decision-making under uncertainty — was developed in the global oil and gas industry, one of the world's most demanding proving grounds for exactly these capabilities. It is not sector-specific. It applies wherever the decisions are hard, the stakes are high, and the margin for error is low. Liam is primarily interested in providing services in non-oil-and-gas sectors, where his expertise applies with full force.
Read Liam's background
The Process
How working with Liam works
Every engagement is personal, focused, and built around the specific situation. There is no intake process, no scoping template, no junior team. The process is direct from the first conversation.
Initial Conversation
A direct, confidential conversation — no pitch, no proposal, no intermediary. The purpose is simple: to understand the situation and determine whether Liam's expertise is genuinely relevant to it. If it is, the conversation will make that clear. If it is not, Liam will say so.
Typically 45–60 minutes. No obligation.
Scoping the Engagement
If the fit is right, Liam will propose a focused engagement scope — defined by the decision or challenge at hand, not by a standard service offering. The scope is kept tight deliberately: the goal is to apply the right expertise to the right problem, not to expand the engagement beyond what is genuinely useful.
Scope, duration, and terms agreed directly. No intermediaries.
Active Advisory
Liam engages directly with the CEO, board, or leadership team — in whatever form is most useful for the situation. That may mean structured sessions, ongoing availability, participation in key meetings, or direct input into specific decisions. The form follows the need.
Frequency and format shaped by the engagement, not a fixed schedule.
Conclusion and Continuity
Engagements conclude when the work is done — not when a contract expires. For some clients, the relationship continues on an ongoing basis, providing a trusted, experienced perspective as new decisions arise. For others, the engagement is complete when the specific challenge has been addressed. Either is the right outcome if it reflects what was genuinely needed.
Ongoing relationships available for the right clients.
Engage
Start a confidential conversation
If the situation is right, Liam will respond promptly and personally. All inquiries are treated discreetly and in confidence.
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