Advisory
Strategy with Structure. Leadersip with Soul.
FreeBird Advisory sits at the intersection of governance, growth, and human-centered leadership.
After decades leading enterprise transformation across financial services, healthcare, nonprofit, and technology, Finch and Marechen Clark built FreeBird to serve organizations navigating complexity where scale is outpacing structure and leadership demands are intensifying.
We do not offer generic consulting.
We operate as embedded strategic partners.
Our Founders, Your Partners in Change
Leadership rooted in courage, clarity, and connection.
Marechen Clark is a visionary leader and co-founder of FreeBird & Co., where she brings over two decades of experience in human resources, risk management, and enterprise transformation. Before launching FreeBird, she led high-impact governance and compensation programs at one of the nation’s largest financial institutions—designing systems of accountability and culture change at scale.
Known for her clarity, courage, and deep sense of purpose, Marechen has shaped programs that drive performance, reduce risk, and create lasting cultural alignment. She has managed enterprise-wide misconduct accountability frameworks, led high-stakes compensation redesigns, and coached teams through times of disruption and renewal.
But her leadership doesn’t stop at spreadsheets or boardrooms. Marechen was also the original spark behind FreeBird’s coffee roasting roots—crafting not just beans, but a brand grounded in ritual, intention, and connection.
At FreeBird, she now guides organizations through bold transformation—bringing together data, heart, and strategy to help leaders build cultures that are as ethical as they are effective.
Marechen lives in Norwalk, Iowa with her family and continues to invest in her community through youth literacy and financial education.
Finch Clark is a seasoned transformation leader with over 20 years of experience guiding organizations through change, complexity, and culture-building. As the Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of FreeBird & Co., Finch brings a rare blend of operational excellence, values-based leadership, and heartfelt coaching to every partnership.
His career spans the financial, nonprofit, and healthcare sectors—including leadership roles at Wells Fargo and as Chief Operating Officer of Orchard Place, where he led the strategic transformation of Iowa’s largest children’s mental and behavioral health agency. At FreeBird, Finch leads organizational strategy, systems design, and leadership development with a focus on mission-driven impact.
Finch holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Development & Change, and is trained in Co-Active Leadership and Coaching—approaches that ground his work in both systems thinking and human-centered transformation. He is also a Six Sigma Black Belt and a longtime advocate for trauma-informed care, performance accountability, and inclusive leadership.
He’s known for building high-trust teams, simplifying the complex, and helping leaders align their values with bold, actionable strategy. Whether navigating crisis or catalyzing growth, Finch shows up with clarity, compassion, and a deep belief that change—when led with intention—can set people and organizations free.
What We Do
We help executive teams strengthen the architecture beneath their growth.
Our advisory model focuses on:
Governance and Decision Architecture
Clarifying decision rights, escalation paths, portfolio discipline, and executive operating cadence.
Business Architecture and Operating Model Design
Aligning strategy to structure across functions including quote to cash, service delivery, technology, marketing, and client experience.
Fractional CxO Support
Serving as a strategic extension of the CEO, COO, CTO, or C suite to maintain cross functional momentum and enterprise alignment.
Cultural and Leadership Alignment
Strengthening executive cohesion, accountability, and change readiness during periods of transformation.
Execution Discipline
Translating strategy into measurable work plans, capacity alignment, and sustainable operating rhythms.
Why FreeBird
Finch brings deep experience in enterprise governance, risk, and operating model design across regulated and mission driven environments.
Marechen brings enterprise level governance, ethics, compliance, and culture leadership along with the founder mindset that understands what it takes to build from vision to viability.
Together, we bring over 50 years of combined experience building systems that scale and cultures that last.
We believe strategy must be supported by structure.
And structure must support people.
The Invitation
If you are entering FreeBird because something in your organization feels stretched, unclear decision rights, stalled transformation, governance drift, or cultural fatigue, let’s talk.
We work with leaders who are ready to strengthen the architecture beneath their ambition.
