Am I being too harsh/cynical in thinking this kind of stuff is a red flag?

Maybe it's overly simplistic, but when the CEO is bringing in consultants it feels like a tacit admission that they are bereft of any ideas and are essentially outsourcing their job.

Why are shareholders paying Hrdlicka a base salary of $2m, with an low bar STI bonus that can boost that to over $4m per annum, if she is just going to turn around and hire someone else?

I'd have more sympathy if the big consultants had a great track record, but that's a rather dubious assertion:

From the London Times in 2024:

Now, a fresh pair of eyes can certainly help. And there are some super smart cookies at these consulting firms, but they operate under different incentives, and dont have any skin in the game.

Anyway, i'm probably just a grumpy old man who likes to shake his fist at the sky :)