We are an independent advisory firm solving complex business problems

SPP was founded in 2005 by our Managing Partner Phil Noble with three key principles in mind:

1. There is an ongoing need for excellent strategic advice in a world where the velocity of change and complexity is increasing;
2. A well-developed, firm-based approach to supporting clients, with a strong appreciation of the need for both high-quality support, as well as a cost consciousness, could be a differentiator; and
3. That clients are increasingly likely to seek pragmatic outcomes from independent advisory and seek true partners in the delivery of planning and projects.

The SPP team has built on this platform over the past 18 years, winning project work across a wide variety of sectors.  SPP has developed a strong pedigree in education, research, and government sector work under the leadership of our Senior Partner Ben Apted. We have also delivered major outcomes for our commercial, financial services and not-for-profit clients including major transformations where SPP has played both a strategic and implementation role.

The firm has grown from what was originally a small four-person operation in 2005, to a team of more than 50 consultants and corporate services staff, with top tier capabilities.  Key milestones during that journey have included:

• A move into a stronger implementation roles on Digital and Data projects;
• The completion of a major international program of work in partnership with a domestic client;
• The opening of SPP’s Sydney office in 2014, with Partner David Mackay leading the charge; and
• A merger with Growth Solutions Group (GSG), a specialist growth-strategy and consumer practice, in 2018.

Our ambition is to continue to grow, underpinned by our pragmatic, high-quality independent advisory and project-delivery DNA. We look forward to working closely with our partners on this journey.

We work hard to understand our client businesses, ensuring that strong rigour is applied in the development of evidence used to make decisions. We recruit for diversity of skills, experiences, and approaches, but always look for “pragmatic DNA” in our candidates.​

SPP has developed an approach to delivering client focused independent advisory projects with the purpose of producing a lasting, sustainable impact.  We apply these principles to our approach:

• We work in a consistent and rigorous manner across projects​
• We are focused on our clients, ensuring projects are driven by your issues and questions, and tailoring our expertise to suit​
• We deliver on our promise to provide more hands-on Partner and subject Matter Expert time in the project, and on the content for your project​
• We are flexible and agile, taking comfort that by providing structure we can adjust through a project as your needs​
• We create a lasting partnership from strategy to delivery of positive change​

Our approach is applied to projects so that both the outcome and the method to getting there are consistent across projects, providing our clients with a greater degree of trust and knowledge that a strong evidence base underpins their major decisions.​

We generate Insight, creating a deeper understanding of the client’s business and/or challenge, by:

• Presenting opinions backed up with facts
• Bringing ideas and industry insights to clients
• Regularly revisiting the key question
• Advancing the answer
• Being efficient at all times in the approach to delivery
• Presenting information, not just data

We Influence outcomes, creating momentum for change by:

• Involving stakeholder & gaining their buy-in to the work
• Listening actively & appreciating
• Staying “on point”, re-clarifying & advancing client’s points of view
• Offering helpful suggestions
• Not being contrary, or disagreeing too quickly
• Understanding our role when interacting with the client
• Not “taking the glory” or credit, but sharing in our client’s success

We deliver lasting Impact by enacting the change through:

• Making recommendations that hit the bottom line (social, environmental, political, people & financial)
• Providing solutions that are appropriate for the client organisation’s capability and capacity
• Setting a project up to succeed and staying involved through to execution
• Using plain English
• Communicating ideas & recommendations from our client’s context or perspective