Launching Cardinal Point Advisors…

In May 2014, when I informed Madam President that I intended to leave the Government and move into private practice, I organized and incorporated Cardinal Point Advisors.

However, when Madam President convinced me to stay on for a few more years especially since the Ministry was in the middle of reform, I decided to shelf the firm since I couldn’t run the firm and at the same time hold a government position.

I always knew that a government job, especially at the senior level, was a temporary gig. I tell my colleagues that the exit from the government is at the top: as you rise, beware that you are on your way out.

I decided that Cardinal Point Advisors would be the baby that I wanted to nurture and grow.

As a value proposition, I felt that others could benefit by learning from the mistakes we made. Wouldn’t it be nice if other leaders from developing countries didn’t have to make the same mistakes we made? To me this is worth a lot.

I have never thought that we had the all answers to transforming a developing country but I think that if can explain the mistakes we made, then others wouldn’t have to make them. And by not making those mistakes, they can make progress faster. This would be a great help to them.

Even if they think that I m not advising them on what to do, I will be advising them on what not to do.

And I think that is worth a lot. And I should get paid for that. Don’t you think so?

That is the value proposition of Cardinal Point Advisors : that you don’t have to make the mistakes we made. You can skip that mistake and pay us for showing you how…