grada consulting
About me
I’m Matt Poll, an independent strategy consultant based in Sydney.
For 30+ years, I’ve worked on growth strategy, customer research, customer economics, and competitive positioning in automotive, financial services, retail, healthcare, technology, FMCG, transport, tourism, utilities, food supply, higher education, hospitality and entertainment, pharma, and government - for ASX-listed companies, PE-backed businesses, and mid-market leadership teams.
I started grada because the mid-market deserves the same calibre of strategic thinking that ASX 50 companies get, without the overhead, the politics, or the six-figure minimum.
Partner-level thinking without the partner-level price
You have a strategy problem. Growth has stalled, margins are eroding, or a new leadership team needs a clear strategic narrative. Fast. The question is who to call.
The big firms? McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and the Big 4 will field a team of 3–8 people, led by a partner who shows up on Day 1 and Day 90. Minimum engagement: $500k–$2M. The thinking is done by analysts two years out of university, and the partner’s attention is split across six other clients.
A fractional CxO? They fill a seat on your leadership team. That solves an operational gap, not a strategy gap. They run the function; they don’t challenge the assumptions behind it.
Your internal team? Smart people, but too close to the problem. They lack the time, frameworks, or external perspective to challenge their own plan, and the political capital to tell the board what they don’t want to hear.
There should be a better option. That’s what grada is. Top-tier partner-level strategic thinking at a fraction of the day rate.
Strategy consulting for mid-market companies
I work in three modes. Every engagement starts with the problem, not a proposal template.
Projects
A scoped deliverable with a clear question and a defined outcome. Growth strategy, customer economics review, competitive positioning, board-ready strategy narrative - whatever the board or executive team needs to make a decision. Typically 10–20 days, quoted upfront, delivered.
Retainer
An ongoing monthly commitment - a block of days for strategic advisory, analysis, and structured support. For leadership teams that want a senior strategic sounding board without hiring a full-time CSO or engaging a large firm.
Advisory
Board or CEO advisory - lighter touch, higher trust. Governance-sensitive work where partner-only delivery matters. Quarterly reviews, ad hoc strategic input, or a standing seat at the strategy table.
What I work on
Growth strategy and revenue acceleration - diagnosing why revenue has stalled and building a plan to restart it
Customer economics and margin improvement - reading the P&L through a customer lens to find margin that cost-cutting misses
Competitive positioning and market assessment - where to play, how to win, and what to stop doing
Capital allocation and portfolio strategy - which business units to invest in, which to divest, and how to make the case to the board
Board-ready strategy narratives - turning strategic analysis into a clear story that survives the board pack
Most projects come in below the competitive tender thresholds that slow everything down in mid-market procurement. You get senior strategy work without the overhead, the politics, or the wait.
Who I’ve worked with
Here are some of the companies I have been fortunate to work with and learn from.
Testimonials
I really appreciated the no-jargon clarity and clear thinking ability with a grounded approach that never failed to deliver - CMO
Meticulous in everything he does and retains my absolute trust - Tech entrepreneur
Has unwavering support for the team. There’s nothing quite like someone you can count on amid the toughest projects - Marketing manager
A consultant of considerable experience with a great talent for getting the job done - CEO, life insurance
Repeatedly demonstrated a capacity and capability to actually deliver outcomes - Big 4 Consulting Partner
He is a high-quality individual, always calm, with supreme person-ability and personal integrity - Tech founder
Matt certainly opened our eyes to a different way of looking at things, and its been a bit of a reality check. Your style, honesty, transparency and the way you’ve positioned things back to us has been really, really helpful - CCO, national logistics operator
How I think
Grada means to build.
This substack is for the executives, founders, and operators who build things, who are responsible not just for reacting to what the market does, but for making the choices that determine whether their organisations win or lose. The people who sit in the room where strategy is decided and who live with the consequences.
The world has plenty of commentary. What it needs is clarity and structured thinking that cuts through the noise and surfaces the questions that matter.
Nobody consistently asks whether your company’s strategy actually holds together. What is your unique theory of value creation? Why would a customer choose you over a competing brand they’ve used for fifteen years? Do your capabilities match the theory of advantage? What specific conditions must be true for this to work?
Why subscribe?
Industry deep dives that map the structural forces reshaping Australian sectors and the strategic bets competitors in those sectors are making in response.
Company strategy breakdowns that go deep into whether the stated strategy is internally coherent, where the logic breaks down, and what the board should be asking.
Regular operating environment briefs that cut through the noise, the macro and industry signals that matter this week, mapped to specific sector and company implications.
What you won’t get: stock picks, consulting speak, strategy theory, trading ideas, or macro forecasts. If your job is to allocate capital in markets, there are excellent newsletters for that. If your job is to allocate capital within an organisation, making the strategic choices that determine whether the business wins or loses, this is for you.
Contact me
If your exec team is debating where growth comes from next, your margins are under pressure, or you’re navigating a leadership transition, let’s have a conversation.
No pitch deck. No proposal template. Just a focused conversation about your strategy challenge and whether I can help.