Darava provides board, strategic and commercial advice to financial services, fintech and technology businesses.
We work directly with CEOs, founders, boards, investors and leadership teams at critical points of growth, transformation and change, helping organisations:
Sharpen growth, commercial and go-to-market strategy
Commercialise complex technology propositions and build senior customer relationships
Apply technology, AI and data to practical business transformation
Our experience spans banking, insurance, wealth and asset management, lending, payments and enterprise technology, from growth-stage businesses through to major global institutions.
The focus is always practical: experienced judgement, constructive challenge and helping turn strategy into action.
Our Purpose:
Helping boards, CEOs, founders and leadership teams make better commercial decisions and turn strategy into practical action.
Experienced judgement. Constructive challenge. Clear priorities.
Bridging the Gap:
Darava combines deep financial services experience with first-hand leadership in fintech and enterprise technology.
That perspective is particularly valuable where established financial institutions and technology businesses need to understand one another — turning technology capability into customer value and commercial results.
What We Do
Darava works with boards, CEOs, founders, investors and leadership teams on growth, transformation and commercial strategy, particularly where technology, AI and changing customer expectations are creating difficult choices.
The role can range from independent board-level challenge and decision support through to hands-on help around a specific commercial problem or strategic opportunity.
Our Engagements
- Board & Strategic Advisory: Independent challenge, decision support and experienced input for boards, CEOs, founders and investors.
- Commercial Growth & Go-to-Market: Growth strategy, market entry, proposition development, partnerships, enterprise sales and building high-quality commercial teams.
- Technology, AI & Transformation: Helping organisations turn technology, AI, data and digital capability into practical business and customer outcomes.
- Fractional & Interim Executive Support: Experienced executive leadership where there is a clear growth or transformation mandate.
How We Work
- Independent Perspective: Bring experienced judgement, constructive challenge and an external commercial view.
- Focused Engagement: Concentrate on the issues and opportunities that will make the greatest difference.
- Work Alongside Leadership: Collaborate directly with boards, founders, executives and their teams.
- Stay Practical: Turn strategy and discussion into clear decisions and action.
Typical Outcomes
- Clearer growth priorities and stronger go-to-market execution
- Better propositions, senior customer engagement and enterprise opportunities
- Stronger alignment between technology capability and commercial value
- Greater confidence around growth, transformation and strategic decisions
Our Expertise
Darava brings together deep experience across banking, insurance, wealth and asset management, lending and payments with extensive leadership experience in fintech and enterprise technology.
Our expertise covers commercial growth, go-to-market, enterprise sales, partnerships, customer strategy, technology transformation, AI, data and digital platforms.
This experience spans major global organisations, established financial institutions, PE-backed technology businesses and growing fintech companies.
Example Projects
Advising and supporting a number of UK lending technology businesses on go-to-market strategy, proposition, pricing, customer strategy and major enterprise opportunities.
Supporting technology and treasury businesses entering and expanding within UK financial services, including market entry, senior client engagement, partnerships and enterprise sales strategy.
Working closely with executive and board teams on growth, transformation, commercial strategy and the practical application of technology and AI.
Darava was founded by Stuart Meiklejohn, an executive, commercial and transformation adviser with more than 25 years' experience across financial services and technology organisations.
A former Salesforce and Fidelity executive, Stuart has also spent more than 10 years at board level with small and medium-sized technology businesses, including Earnix, Cashfac and Momentum Financial Technology.
His experience combines senior leadership within major global organisations with the practical realities of building and growing technology businesses. Today, he works directly with CEOs, founders, boards and leadership teams, providing independent commercial judgement, constructive challenge and practical support.
Stuart also takes on Board, Advisory Board and NED roles, alongside selected fractional or interim executive assignments where there is a clear growth or transformation mandate.
Our Services Include:
Board, Advisory Board & NED roles
Executive & Founder Advisory
Commercial Growth & Go-to-Market Strategy
Enterprise Sales Strategy & Senior Customer Engagement
Technology, AI & Transformation
Fractional & Interim Executive Support