Ava Richardson
Founder & CEO
Ava has 18 years of experience advising boards on capital strategy, previously serving as a director in corporate finance at a global consulting firm.
About Stonebranchloop
Stonebranchloop was established to provide executive teams with a disciplined, evidence-based framework for deploying capital where it creates the most durable economic value. Our advisory work bridges deep corporate finance experience with scenario-driven risk assessment and ESG-informed decision-making. We guide boards and management teams through trade-off analysis that clarifies when to prioritize reinvestment, strategic acquisitions, working capital management, or shareholder returns. The goal is to align capital allocation with long-term strategy and measurable governance triggers so companies preserve optionality and deliver consistent, risk-adjusted returns.
Our approach
Stonebranchloop applies a rigorous, multi-stage approach to capital allocation. First, we diagnose the business's cash-generating capacity and structural needs, using granular cash-flow mapping across product lines and geographies. Second, we construct scenario frameworks that stress-test balance-sheet resilience, liquidity, and investment returns under different macroeconomic and industry outcomes. Third, we prioritize opportunities using a harmonized metric set that blends return on invested capital with strategic optionality and ESG-adjusted risk measures. Fourth, we design governance triggers and monitoring dashboards so management and boards can make timely, evidence-based decisions. This method ensures capital is deployed where it can sustain competitive advantage and offers robust downside protection should conditions deteriorate.
Governance and ESG integration
Good allocation decisions rest on strong governance and a clear articulation of acceptable trade-offs. We work with boards to set allocation policies, define liquidity and leverage tolerances, and create transparent reporting linked to strategy. ESG factors are embedded into investment screens and risk adjustments, so decisions reflect long-term value creation rather than short-term optics. By aligning incentive structures and disclosure practices with capital policy, we help organizations reduce agency frictions and improve accountability while capturing sustainability-driven opportunities.
Practical implementation
Beyond strategy, Stonebranchloop supports implementation: building models, hand-over of dashboards, and training finance and strategy teams to operate the allocation framework. We stage capital deployment with clear go/no-go triggers and perform periodic recalibrations informed by updated scenarios. This reduces execution risk and ensures that allocation choices remain responsive to changing market and operational dynamics.
Our team
Our team combines former corporate strategists, CFO office advisers, M&A practitioners, and sustainability analysts who have worked across varied industries. We prioritize diverse perspectives, rigorous analysis, and a practical orientation toward execution. This cross-disciplinary skill set enables us to design allocation programs that are analytically sound and operationally achievable.
Liam Chen
Head of Modeling
Liam leads scenario design and ROIC modeling, with a background in quantitative risk management for institutional investors.
Sofia Martinez
Director, ESG & Strategy
Sofia integrates sustainability metrics into valuation and capital decision frameworks, focusing on long-term resilience.