Privacy & Confidentiality
Trust is the foundation of every advisory relationship.
At Retinue, we recognise that meaningful advice requires candour. Our clients often share information that is commercially sensitive, personally important, or simply not meant to travel beyond the room. We treat that trust with the seriousness it deserves.
This page describes, in plain language, the principles that guide how we handle information, protect confidentiality, and use the content we publish. It is intended to explain our approach and professional standards, rather than to serve as a substitute for the specific contractual terms that may apply to an engagement.
We are committed to safeguarding your information, acting with integrity, and holding to the highest professional standards in everything we do.
Privacy
We respect the information you choose to share with us.
When you contact Retinue, we collect only such information as is reasonably necessary to understand your requirements, communicate with you, and, where appropriate, explore or deliver our services. Our website is built to be light in its data collection: we do not use intrusive tracking, and nothing is sold or transacted here.
We use the information you share for professional purposes, and with appropriate care. We do not sell personal information, nor do we share it with third parties for their independent commercial purposes. Where information needs to be shared to support an engagement, we discuss it with you first wherever practical, and only where there is a genuine professional reason.
We also believe privacy is not simply a matter of systems or technology. It is a matter of judgement: knowing what needs to be known, by whom, and when. If you would like to understand what information we hold about you, or would like us to update or remove it where appropriate, you are welcome to contact us.
Confidentiality
Discretion is part of the work.
Confidentiality is fundamental to the way Retinue works. Information shared with us by a client, a prospective client, or another party in the course of an advisory relationship is treated with discretion and in confidence. We do not use confidential information for purposes unrelated to the relationship in which it was entrusted to us. Where members of our team, professional associates, or other specialists need access to information to contribute to an engagement, we expect them to hold to the same standard of discretion.
Confidentiality works both ways: just as we protect what you share, we ask that the advice and materials we provide are treated with the same respect (a point we set out more fully under Use of Our Content). The objective is not to create distance. It is to create the conditions for openness, because the best advisory conversations are often the most candid ones.
Our Approach
Privacy protects information. Confidentiality protects trust.
We do not regard privacy and confidentiality as formalities to be addressed at the end of an engagement. They are part of how we conduct ourselves from the beginning: exercising discretion in conversations, correspondence, and documentation; being thoughtful about who has access to information; and using professional judgement when deciding what should, and should not, be shared. We believe this is simply part of being a trusted advisor.
Use of Our Content
Ideas may be shared. Our work should not be misrepresented as yours.
The content published on this website, including our articles, perspectives, frameworks, language, graphics, and other materials, reflects the experience and intellectual work of Retinue and its associates. You are welcome to read, reference, and share our publicly available insights for genuine informational purposes, with appropriate attribution.
Our proprietary materials, frameworks, and work product provided as part of an engagement are intended for the purposes for which they are shared, and should not be reproduced, republished, adapted, distributed, or used commercially without our prior permission. If something we have created is useful to you, we would much rather you speak to us than copy it.
A Note on the Content of This Website
General perspective, not specific advice.
The information on this website is intended to offer general perspectives about Retinue, our approach, and our areas of work. It does not constitute professional advice for any particular individual, organisation, or situation. Advice depends on context, and context requires understanding. Specific advice is provided only within the scope of an agreed professional engagement, once we have had the opportunity to understand the circumstances and objectives involved.
We make reasonable efforts to ensure that what we publish is thoughtful, relevant, and accurate at the time of publication; circumstances and perspectives can change, however, and website content should not be relied upon as a substitute for advice specific to your situation.
In Essence
We handle your information with care.
We treat your confidences with discretion.
We respect the trust placed in us.
That is not simply a privacy policy. It is part of the Retinue Way.
If you have any question about privacy, confidentiality, or the use of this site, please get in touch.