Arcstone Advisory works with founders, boards and senior leaders during periods of change — scaling, transaction, leadership stretch, board tension and strategic inflection. Matt brings commercially grounded judgement, honest challenge and support that influences outcomes.
A few examples of the kind of feedback Matt tends to receive from founders, operators and senior leaders he has worked with closely.
"Matt was one of the few people I could talk to honestly as Imagen grew. He challenged me in the right way, helped me sharpen my thinking as we scaled, and was a real support through the sale of the business. He doesn't bring noise or ego. He brings perspective, honesty and very good judgement."
"Leaving corporate life and starting something of my own was a bigger shift than I expected. Talking with Matt helped me make sense of it quickly. He listened, challenged me thoughtfully, and helped me find a clearer path forward. I came away with more confidence, more focus and a much better sense of where to put my energy."
"Matt coached me at a point where I needed to lead with greater clarity and impact. He combines challenge with empathy very well. He helped me think better, communicate more effectively, and become more intentional in how I showed up as a leader. I found the work valuable and would recommend him."
Arcstone is built on direct operating experience, founder experience, board exposure and years of work with senior leaders. High-stakes advisory only lands when it comes from someone who has actually carried weight themselves.
Matt Stephens is the founder of Arcstone Advisory. He has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of leadership, strategy, culture, communication and organisational change.
As founder and former CEO of Inpulse, he built a workforce analytics business serving enterprise clients across sectors including transport, healthcare, construction, manufacturing and technology. In 2023, he exited the business through an 8-figure outcome involving EOT and private equity. That experience now shapes the way he works with other founders: with realism, independence and a clear understanding of what the spreadsheets do not show.
Alongside his founder experience, Matt has held senior roles including Head of Internal Communications at Aviva UK and Head of Brand Engagement at RSA. He has delivered major leadership and transformation programmes, served on boards, chaired a charity board and coached senior executives inside complex organisations where leadership, trust and judgement all matter.
The offer is deliberately focused. Arcstone works in three connected areas where experience, judgement and challenge materially improve outcomes.
Support for founders making weight-bearing decisions: scaling the business, handling investor conversations, preparing for sale, navigating a transaction, and thinking clearly about what comes after.
Independent board-level support for businesses that want more than a name on a website — better decisions, cleaner accountability and less drift.
One-to-one work with senior leaders who want to lead with more clarity, presence and effectiveness in real commercial environments.
Clients usually come to Arcstone when the stakes are high enough that generic advice is no use: transaction pressure, scaling complexity, board tension, role stretch, or the need for sharper judgement at the centre of the business.
Matt founded and scaled Inpulse a HR Saas platform building to more than 95 enterprise clients before completing an 8-figure exit via EOT and private equity.
Senior roles at Aviva UK, Eon and RSA brought experience inside large, complex organisations where leadership, engagement and change had to work in practice, not just on slides.
Years of strategic advisory work across leadership teams, boards and transformation programmes in financial services, construction, transport, retail and the public sector.
Culture, founder psychology, leadership trust and organisational alignment are often the hidden variables. Arcstone treats them as core business issues — because they are.
If you are approaching an exit, carrying the strain of growth, working through leadership complexity or looking for a more serious board-level sounding board, Arcstone is set up for that kind of work.
Email Matt directly