B1 · Module 03 · Class 12 — The Presentation, Complete

Friday Afternoon — Mexico City, Altius Consulting Group

The call from Vantage comes at 4 p.m. Mexico City time. Santiago is in the office, jacket still on from a morning meeting. He puts the phone on speaker.

"The partnership voted this morning," Claire says. "Phase Two is approved. We'd like to move forward on the timeline you proposed."

Santiago thanks her, ends the call, and sits down. Elena Durán appears in the doorway.

"Well?"

"Approved."

Elena smiles. "You presented well in London. David Park is not an easy room." She pauses. "Now the real work begins."

Santiago nods. The mandate is won. The proposal is accepted. The presentation was delivered. Now Altius must do what it promised — and it will be done under the scrutiny of a client who challenged every assumption in a boardroom on the 22nd floor.

Vocabulary — Project Go-Ahead

mandate

/ˈmændeɪt/

An official instruction or authority to carry out a specific task or project

scrutiny

/ˈskruːtɪni/

Close and detailed examination or observation, especially of work being done for a client

go-ahead

/ˌɡəʊ əˈhed/

Permission or approval to begin something; a green light

accountability

/əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti/

The responsibility to deliver on commitments and answer for any shortfall

phase

/feɪz/

A distinct stage in a project, each with its own objectives, timeline, and deliverables

CAUSE → EFFECT

result in / lead to / trigger/drive

cause is subject

"The regulatory change led to a 15% cost increase."

contribute to / stem from

partial or root cause

"The underperformance stems from a capital misalignment."

EFFECT → CAUSE

because of/ due to/as a result of

+ noun phrase after cause

"Returns declined due to currency volatility."

is attributed to / owing to

formal, credit/blame

"Growth is attributed to strong infrastructure inflows."

EMBEDDED CAUSE-EFFECT

which led to / resulting in / thereby

relative/participle clause

"Three firms withdrew, resulting in a supply gap."

consequently / therefore / as a result

sentence connector

"Costs rose. Consequently, margins were compressed."

COMPLEX PASSIVES

must/should/can/may be + p.p.

modal passive

"This risk must be considered before capital is committed."

appear/seem/expect/consider/believe to be

passive infinitive

"The market is considered to be underserved."

It is projected/estimated/noted/found that

passive reporting

"It is projected that returns will reach 14%."

FUTURE & CONDITIONAL PASSIVES

will be / is scheduled to be / is set to be

confirmed future action

"The team is scheduled to be deployed by 5 June."

If/Once/Provided that… will be

conditional action

"Provided approval is granted, the plan will be initiated."

must be / should be / needs to be + deadline

obligation + timeline

"Capital must be confirmed by end of Q2."

SIGNPOSTING

Opening / Moving forward / Referring back

structural navigation

"This brings me to… / Building on Slide 3…"

Flagging importance / Closing

attention + handover

"I'd like to draw your attention to… / I'm happy to take questions."

ALTIUS CONSULTING GROUP — INTERNAL MEMO

TO:  Mexico City Team

FROM: Santiago Reyes, Senior Account Director

DATE: 24 April 2026

RE:  Vantage Capital Partners — Phase 2 Approved

─────────────────────────────────────────────────

Phase 2 of the Vantage Capital Partners engagement has been approved.

The following memo sets out the actions that will be taken, the conditions

under which they are to be carried out, and the timelines that must be met.

WHAT WAS APPROVED

The full Phase 2 scope — as presented in London on 23 April — was accepted

without material revision. It is expected that the formal engagement extension

letter will be received within five business days. Once it is countersigned,

the Phase 2 budget will be released.

WHY THIS MATTERS

The approval was driven by three factors: the clarity of the market analysis,

the rigour of the risk assessment methodology, and the confidence that was

established during the Q&A. It should be noted that David Park's challenge

on the return projections was anticipated — and the response appears to have

been decisive in securing approval.

WHAT WILL BE DONE

Phase 2A — A four-person team is scheduled to be deployed to Bogotá and

Santiago (Chile) no later than 5 June. All travel arrangements must be

confirmed by 30 April.

Phase 2B — Primary interviews are to be conducted within 60 days of deployment.

Interview logs will be shared on a rolling basis as they are completed.

Should any interview access be restricted, Vantage will be notified within 48 hours.

Phase 2C — The interim findings report will be submitted by 14 August.

Provided that the data is of sufficient quality, the final report will be

delivered ahead of the 15 September deadline.

The real work now begins. I am confident that this team will deliver.

Santiago Reyes