ETHICS & INDEPENDENCE
Independence isn’t a tagline.
It’s a structural decision.
Cordis is built so that judgment is not driven by product shelves, balance sheets, or distribution priorities. Our role is to help principals see the full field of consequences, trade-offs, and timing—and make decisions they can stand behind years from now.
Principal-first design
Our work begins with the principal’s objectives, constraints, and responsibilities to others. Engagements are structured so that alignment with the decision-maker is explicit, not assumed.
Conflicts surfaced early
Where potential conflicts may arise, we raise them, name them, and address them. The goal is not to avoid complexity, but to ensure it is visible and managed deliberately.
Discretion by default
Many of the most important decisions never appear in public view. Cordis operates with a bias toward confidentiality, quiet execution, and respect for the principal’s privacy and stakeholders.
Structured decision-making
We bring frameworks, pacing, and documentation to significant choices, so that principals can explain not only what they decided, but why—to boards, families, partners, or their future selves.
THE CORDIS STANDARD
How we operate when the decisions in front of you carry weight.
Cordis exists for principals whose choices affect not only their own balance sheet, but families, teams, and communities around them. Our operating standard is built to match that responsibility.
Principal-first, not product-first
Every engagement begins with the principal’s objectives, obligations, and risk tolerance—not a pre-set solution. Advice is built around the person making the decision, not what is easiest to distribute.
Rigor over volume
We would rather go deep on the decisions that matter than be broadly involved in everything. Fewer mandates, more attention, and a disciplined ceiling on what we take on at once.
Clarity before speed
Inflection points often come with pressure, urgency, and noise. Our role is to slow down the thinking just enough to see the full picture—and then move decisively once the path is clear.
Discretion as default
Many of the most important choices never appear in public view. We operate with a strong bias for confidentiality, quiet execution, and respect for the people affected by the outcome.
Integrated decision-making
Financial, legal, tax, operational, and family considerations are treated as one system. We help principals coordinate their advisors so that decisions are aligned across disciplines, not made in silos.
Long-term accountability
We expect to be able to explain our recommendations years from now. That means documenting the reasoning, the trade-offs, and the context—so principals, boards, and families can see how a decision was made.
THE CORDIS CULTURE CODE
Quietly ambitious.
Openly demanding of our own work.
Cordis is built for people who care about the quality of their decisions, not the volume of their activity. The same is true of how we build the firm.
We would rather do a smaller number of important things extraordinarily well than spread thin across everything.
The most meaningful work rarely trends. We are comfortable doing work that only a few people will ever see—but that matters deeply to them.
We value the person who has done the thinking more than the person who performs the answer. Substance beats presentation, every time.
When something goes well, it belongs to the team. When something goes wrong, we own our part, learn quickly, and adjust.
Our internal debates, hiring decisions, and priorities revolve around one question: Does this improve outcomes for the principals we serve and the people who rely on them?
The Cordis Culture Code
Excellence is not an initiative. It is the minimum operating standard. Every decision, every interaction, and every deliverable must reflect the trust our clients place in us and the gravity of the moments in which we serve them.
01 — Earn Trust Daily
Trust is created in moments of pressure. We operate with total clarity, candor, and reliability. No surprises. No drift.
02 — Think Like Principals
We act as if the capital, reputation, and relationships at stake were our own—because clients trust us as if they were.
03 — Elite Preparation
We prepare harder than anyone else. No shortcuts. No external dependencies. Rigor and mastery are our competitive differentiators.
04 — Raise the Standard
We challenge assumptions, elevate perspectives, and refuse to accept “good enough.” If it does not meet the Cordis Standard, it is rebuilt.
05 — Pressure is a Privilege
Clients trust us in moments that matter. We respond with calm, precision, and strategic clarity—always accelerating the path forward.
06 — Stewardship Over Optics
We prioritize long-term outcomes ahead of short-term optics. Integrity compounds. So does reputation.
07 — Extreme Ownership
Every problem is ours to solve. Every detail is ours to manage. Every outcome is ours to own.
08 — Quiet Excellence
We do not broadcast. We deliver. Our clients speak for us. Our work reinforces it.