Independent
Not embedded in the politics, history or incentives that can narrow internal thinking.
About The 10th Man
One independent perspective can change the quality of a decision.
The 10th Man exists for the moments when agreement arrives too easily, a process keeps failing, a negotiation needs sharper thinking or the evidence is too important to leave untested.
The idea
Challenge without theatre.
The name comes from a simple principle: when nine people agree, someone should deliberately test the accepted position and ask what might have been missed.
That does not mean arguing for the sake of it. Good independent challenge is disciplined, fair and willing to confirm that the original position was right. Its value comes from the quality of the test, not the novelty of the disagreement.
Understand → reconstruct → challenge → verify → improve.
Founder-led delivery
Matthew Magnussen
Matthew founded The 10th Man to provide the independent perspective that can be difficult to create from inside an organisation.
A finance graduate with a long career in high-consequence aviation operations and senior leadership roles, he brings practical experience in making and testing decisions where information may be incomplete, time matters and accountability is clear.
His experience includes governance, complex negotiations, evidence review and process improvement. Matthew works directly with every client, combining structured analysis and human judgment with carefully controlled AI tools where they genuinely improve the work.
Evidence-led
Conclusions are expected to survive contact with the original material.
AI-amplified
Technology provides scale and rigour while human judgment remains responsible.
Every organisation needs a 10th Man.
What might yours be missing?
A confidential introductory discussion is a good place to start.