— Background
The work I've done — and why I do it now.
Billy Crafton has more than twenty years of consulting experience. He began his career inside large consulting firms, where he learned how major organizations make decisions, manage change, and respond when the stakes are high.
A graduate of NYU Stern, Billy combines formal business training with decades of hands-on advisory work across complex strategic, organizational, and client-sensitive situations.
Over time, that foundation evolved into a more focused advisory practice built around direct access, candid thinking, and trusted relationships. Today, Billy works from New York City with senior leaders, large companies, and ultra-wealthy clients who need experienced judgment rather than unnecessary process.
His work sits at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and transition: the moments when a business, a family, or a principal needs clarity, discretion, and a counselor who has seen complexity before.
“The best counsel is the kind a leader can act on within twenty-four hours.”
— How I Work
A practice built around judgment, not process.
Most engagements begin with a private call — usually thirty minutes, sometimes an hour. The aim is mutual: Billy is looking for problems where his judgment can actually move the needle, and you are looking for someone who reads your situation accurately and quickly.
From there, the work takes whatever shape it needs to. Sometimes that's a recurring monthly conversation with a CEO. Sometimes it's a focused six-week engagement around a specific decision. Sometimes it's a board seat. The form follows the function.
That flexibility matters, especially when advising large companies and ultra-wealthy clients. The context is rarely simple, the human dynamics are often as important as the strategy, and the right answer usually has to work both on paper and in real life.
— Principles
What clients can expect.
Candor
You will hear what I actually think — including the parts that are inconvenient.
Confidentiality
Engagements are private. Clients are not used as references without explicit invitation.
Independence
No fees from third parties, no hidden incentives, no products to sell.
Restraint
I take on a small number of engagements at any time so each one gets real attention.