Why I started REAL

Rapha Estripeau, Founder & CEO

My time at BCG taught me something that shaped how I work now. The strategy was sound, the deck was excellent and then we moved on, while the harder work of making it real stayed with the client. The satisfying part of this job is not the recommendation, it is watching a client's team run something that works and knowing you helped build it.

Clients also bought the partner in the room and then received the analyst who joined in September. Brilliant people, learning on the client's budget.

REAL is built on three commitments. Our Senior people are involved from start to finish. We stay through implementation because strategy and implementation are one engagement, not two phases with a handover. Our fees ride on the outcome, so we only recommend the right course of action.

The name says the rest. REAL problems, REAL delivery, REAL results: growth that shows in the numbers, not the slidedeck.

The best strategy in the world is worthless if the change never lands. Anyone can build the deck. Delivery is the hard part.

The people on the work

Founder & CEORapha Estripeau

Raphael has ~20 years of experience, having co-led BCG's Retail, Fashion & luxury practice as a Partner. Prior to this, he held several roles in Marketing and Strategy at Unilever. He left BCG in 2025 to focus on commercial growth & excellence, bringing the top-tiers consultancy quality to longer transformative client priorities.

Director of OperationsJames Box

James comes from a background in the Luxury Travel Industry where his eye for detail set him apart from the competition. Delivering for some of the highest net worth individuals globally, James has a reputation for running a tight ship.

He's now responsible for everything operational at REAL, from invoicing, to IT and HR. James keeps the machine working smoothly so everyone else can focus on our clients.

Expert Partner - Fashion & LuxurySally Taylor

Sally leads REAL’s Fashion and Luxury practice. She brings >15y of experience in core Commercial and Strategy functions for some of the most notorious luxury players (e.g. Harrod’s, Burberry, Net-a-Porter).

She leads academic research for Regent’s university, and specialises in VIC (Very Important Clients) and UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) retention.

Expert Partner - Customer Strategy, Loyalty & DataAdam Schaffer

Adam leads REAL’s Customer, Loyalty & Retention practice. He began his consulting career at Bain & Company before moving into loyalty with Nectar, subsequently founding his own specialist loyalty and data advisory firm. Over >18 years, Adam has designed, transformed and implemented more than 100 loyalty & retention programs for leading businesses across all industries. His expertise spans the full lifecycle: from proposition and economic modelling through to CRM, data, technology and implementation, with a focus on delivering measurable commercial impact.

Expert Partner - AI Content TransformationNicolas Tessier

Nicolas leads REAL’s AI Content Transformation practice. He spent the last >20 years building multi-disciplinary teams of creatives, designers, strategists, helping some of the world's most respected organisations embrace creative technology and rethink how they connect with their audiences. This makes him a unique official partner of multiple advertising platforms in AI content transformation and governance".

Expert Partner - Brand Strategist & Creative DirectorGuillaume Ketterer

Guillaume leads REAL’s Communication, Social & Influence practice. He has >10 years of experience in this field with the most influential brands in Sportswear, Lifestyle and Luxury (e.g. adidas, On, Salomon, Boss, Gucci, Balenciaga, Prada) and owns his own Creative Studio where he incubates disruptive practices (e.g. Web3, Social commerce, Asset production).

Expert Partner - AI, Data & Technology transformationOlivier Nachba

Olivier lead REAL’s AI, Data & Technology transformation practice. He has >25 years of experience building disruptive data & technology products and practices for multi-billion international retailers. He founded and sold multiple technology start-ups and consultancies, and now focuses on acceleration of AI practices for all back and front-office functions, from HR to Buying & Merchandising, from Engineering to Omnichannel personalisation.

Expert Partner - Marketing Measurement & EffectivenessJoe Wilkinson

Joe leads REAL’s Marketing Effectiveness and Attribution practice. He has >15years of experience in marketing analytics, previously being Senior Partner at Gain Theory. He leads measurement transformation for Fortune 500 brands across retail, grocery, CPG, travel, entertainment and finance. He specialises in in-housing Universal Measurement frameworks, and building the organisations necessary to support it.

Plus a network of leading industry experts and top-consulting-firm talent, brought in per engagement.

What our clients are saying

"Most firms hand over a deck and disappear. REAL stayed through the awkward part, where the plan actually meets the shop floor. They were still in the building when the new range went live, sorting out the snags as they came up rather than leaving us to it."
Operations Director
multi-site fashion retailer
"The person running our project had spent twenty years doing this exact work at one of the big firms, and you could tell in every meeting. No junior analyst learning on our budget. We had someone senior who had seen the problem before and knew where the real risk sat."
Managing Director
premium drinks brand
"We agreed up front that part of their fee rode on hitting the numbers, so I knew they believed in the plan they were selling me. The cost came in well below what we were quoted elsewhere, and the margin gain had paid for the work twice over by year end."
Finance Director
hospitality group
"Placeholder quote. This card exists so the row is the length the design was built for. Replace it with a real, cleared client quote before launch."
PLACEHOLDER
awaiting Oliver
"Most firms hand over a deck and disappear. REAL stayed through the awkward part, where the plan actually meets the shop floor. They were still in the building when the new range went live, sorting out the snags as they came up rather than leaving us to it."
Operations Director
multi-site fashion retailer
"The person running our project had spent twenty years doing this exact work at one of the big firms, and you could tell in every meeting. No junior analyst learning on our budget. We had someone senior who had seen the problem before and knew where the real risk sat."
Managing Director
premium drinks brand
"We agreed up front that part of their fee rode on hitting the numbers, so I knew they believed in the plan they were selling me. The cost came in well below what we were quoted elsewhere, and the margin gain had paid for the work twice over by year end."
Finance Director
hospitality group
"Placeholder quote. This card exists so the row is the length the design was built for. Replace it with a real, cleared client quote before launch."
PLACEHOLDER
awaiting Oliver
"Most firms hand over a deck and disappear. REAL stayed through the awkward part, where the plan actually meets the shop floor. They were still in the building when the new range went live, sorting out the snags as they came up rather than leaving us to it."
Operations Director
multi-site fashion retailer
"The person running our project had spent twenty years doing this exact work at one of the big firms, and you could tell in every meeting. No junior analyst learning on our budget. We had someone senior who had seen the problem before and knew where the real risk sat."
Managing Director
premium drinks brand
"We agreed up front that part of their fee rode on hitting the numbers, so I knew they believed in the plan they were selling me. The cost came in well below what we were quoted elsewhere, and the margin gain had paid for the work twice over by year end."
Finance Director
hospitality group
"Placeholder quote. This card exists so the row is the length the design was built for. Replace it with a real, cleared client quote before launch."
PLACEHOLDER
awaiting Oliver