CORPORATE STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY

Strategy. Synergy.Results.

Most companies buy strategy from one firm, implementation from another, and market positioning from a third. We do all three, plus the organizational alignment that decides whether any of it sticks. Senior advisory for Fortune 1000 companies, led by a strategist who has run the enterprise strategy function inside Fortune 500 companies and been the client of the firms you would otherwise hire.

20+
Years leading corporate strategy and development
80+
Countries of working experience
$45B
Largest corporate separation led
9
Industries served, from start-ups to Fortune 50

THE FULL ARC

Three capabilities that usually come from three vendors. And one nobody sells.

Strategy Development Strategy Implementation Strategic Market Positioning

Typically, when hiring for strategic assistance, firms must engage multiple consultants: strategic planning from one, implementation by another, communication and market positioning by a third. Each handoff loses context and, more importantly, leaves a critical organizational alignment gap that sits in nobody's scope of work.

Strategy Through Synergy covers the full arc of the engagement end to end, from the Boardroom presentation that leads to a directional decision through to the analyst inquiry fielded at the quarterly meeting. Unlike the big firms, our work is delivered only by seasoned corporate strategy executives who have actually worked inside Fortune 1000 companies and know what it is like to hire outside help, because we have been the client of those firms.

The key difference between consulting and internal corporate strategy stewardship comes down to accountability. Most consulting firms complete their piece and move on. Our discipline to see a strategy through from inception to value creation comes from having personally been on the line to deliver mission-critical results against stakeholder and shareholder expectations. Properly executing an effective corporate strategy does not allow a handoff after the recommendation. We are in it for the full duration, to win, and to make sure you succeed.

01

Set the Direction

We do the diligence and build the strategic plan: evaluating external dynamics, running scenario planning, stress-testing internal capabilities, and framing the options and decisions on organic growth, M&A and operational efficiency. The output is a long-range strategy the Board can approve and fund.

02

Put it Into Action

We work across the company to convert strategy into fully funded implementation plans, governed through a PMO with KPI frameworks, stage gates, executive reporting and disciplined performance management, ensuring everything comes together to achieve the strategy.

03

Align the Organization to Deliver

We evolve the organization through its people and processes, providing education on what changed and why, and enablement to match resources and capabilities to the needs of the strategy, so the organization can actually achieve it. This is the step most engagements leave behind, and it carries a side benefit: it shapes morale and improves culture.

04

Improve Market Positioning

We build the narrative that makes the strategy real externally, differentiating the company with customers, partners, investors and analysts, elevating the brand and strengthening competitive position and investor confidence.

BREADTH, DEPTH AND REACH

Breadth, Depth, Reach.

Strategy session in progress

The range of our experience matters more than it sounds. We have served organizations from high-growth startups to the Fortune 50, across healthcare and life sciences, energy, chemicals and mining, telecommunications, food and beverage, information services, digital software, consumer and gaming, and the non-profit sector. That breadth gives us a well-rounded perspective, proven tools and agile processes that yield practical solutions and shorten cycle time.

Our depth comes from having actually run the strategy function at both the enterprise and business unit levels, and making sure synergy existed between the two. We have led large strategy and corporate development organizations inside Fortune 500 companies, staffed with high-caliber internal talent alongside former big-firm consultants. We owned the development, implementation and communication of the long-range plan, rolled up our sleeves with functional and regional leadership to get things done, and answered to the executive team, the Board, key external stakeholders and investors.

Reach is a real differentiator. Our work for multinationals has been genuinely global, spanning more than 80 countries across B2B, B2C and B2G models, building strategies for businesses selling to governments, to enterprises and to consumers. We also know every strategy needs contingency plans for when things do not go as planned. We build robust risk management frameworks accounting for industry and technology evolution, competitive advancement, shifting consumer needs, and regulatory and geopolitical risk, so we have answers to the questions before they are asked.

We know the difference between a recommendation and a result, because we were the ones answerable for the second one.

WHAT WE DO

Four ways we help you navigate the corporate lifecycle.

From start-up through growth, reinvention and transformation, to transition or divestiture.

Engagements range from a holistic, end-to-end solution to a single component where you need depth fast.

01

Growth Strategy

  • Long-range strategy and the annual strategic planning process, including scenario planning and capability stress-testing.
  • Strategy implementation governed through a PMO, with KPI frameworks, performance dashboards and executive reporting.
  • Strategic messaging aligned across internal cascade and external investor communications.
  • Corporate development: alliances, acquisitions, divestitures and separations.
02

Commercial Effectiveness

  • Commercial organization design: structure, goals, incentive plans, performance management, account planning and tools.
  • Resource and investment allocation across portfolios, with value-based pricing strategy.
  • Product and service innovation, commercialization and new business development.
  • Market entry and market expansion strategy, backed by competitive intelligence.
03

Operational Efficiency

  • Operational excellence programs: process streamlining, cost optimization and innovation ignition.
  • CAPEX prioritization and stage gate governance for investment decisions.
  • Data and analytics strategy, shifting organizations from diagnostic to predictive and prescriptive.
  • Lean, Six Sigma, Agile and fast-track methodologies applied where they fit, not by default.
04

Transformation and Change

  • Enterprise transformation programs tackling complex management challenges or unlocking new forms of value.
  • Strategic and cultural shifts, restructuring, and launching new enterprise functions.
  • Post-merger integration, including matrixed teams and rationalization across functions.
  • Organizational design and capability building to close the gap between strategy and the talent to deliver it.

SELECTED RESULTS

Work Delivered, Results Achieved.

$45B

Telecommunications separation into two publicly traded entities, generating $4B in value and 28% stock appreciation.

$1B

Divestiture led end to end, then retained by the acquirer to lead a 250-person integration delivering 45% faster value realization.

5X

Ten-year growth strategy projecting 5X revenue and 6X EBITDA for a $3B business, approved and funded by the Board.

$2.5B

Market entry into recycling for a $10B mining and chemical processor, Board approved, funded and partnered across the value chain.

$550M

Reduction in total cost of ownership across roughly 1,000 global office, manufacturing, R&D and distribution sites.

250%

Revenue growth on a $100M P&L through organic growth, acquisitions and an open innovation licensing program.

Client outcomes on advisory engagements are subject to confidentiality. Further detail available under NDA.

WHERE WE WORK

Nine industries, B2B, B2C and B2G.

Sector knowledge earned on the inside, not from a market report. We also use AI tools for research, competitive intelligence and pricing, which compresses the analysis phase of every engagement and keeps our rates where they should be.

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Pharmaceuticals, MedTech and consumer health at enterprise scale.

Energy

Energy storage, clean transportation, grid flexibility and decarbonization.

Chemicals & Mining

Specialty chemicals, lithium platforms and materials recycling.

Telecommunications

Wireless infrastructure, network solutions and carrier strategy.

Food & Beverage

Ingredients, CPG commercialization and health and wellness platforms.

Information Services

Publishing and the shift from content to cloud-based subscription.

Digital Software

Product strategy, portfolio planning and go-to-market.

Consumer & Gaming

Value-based pricing, positioning and product launch strategy.

Non-Profit

Global distribution strategy for technologies addressing malnutrition.

FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE PLANT FLOOR

A strategy is only real once the people who have to deliver it know what changed, and why.

HOW WE WORK

Four commitments that shape every engagement.

The Power of Synergy

The most successful strategies integrate knowledge from inside and outside the organization. We pair your team's expertise with ours to gain new perspective and illuminate the path forward together, so the answer belongs to your organization rather than to a consultant.

Unique Insight and Perspective

A track record across B2B, B2C and B2G organizations, from start-ups to Fortune 50. That diverse exposure to common management challenges brings reliable tools and processes we deploy immediately to shorten cycle time to solution.

Practical, Actionable Application

We are stewards of your capital, budget and resources. Fit-for-purpose solutions and fast-track, agile methods that deliver value at reasonable rates, measured at both the top and bottom line.

Flexibility to Add Value

Our contribution ranges from an end-to-end solution to a single component. That includes fractional Chief Strategy Officer leadership where the budget does not allow for full-time capacity but the need for strategic guidance is real and ongoing.

Angelique Gunderson
Angelique Gunderson
Founder & President
EXPERIENCE
20+ years running the enterprise strategy and corporate development function for Fortune 500 companies including Johnson & Johnson, Albemarle, Tate & Lyle and Motorola
EDUCATION
Executive M.B.A., University of Chicago · M.B.A. International Business, Loyola University Chicago · B.S. Marketing, Northern Illinois University
CERTIFICATIONS
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, UT Arlington · Prosci ADKAR Change Management · Executive Leadership Program, Hult Ashridge, London

MEET THE FOUNDER

We built this firm to put F500 strategy depth within reach.

My expertise was earned leading the corporate strategy and development function for several Fortune 500 companies, and through consulting engagements with organizations from start-up to Fortune 50. I have served Boards and executive leadership across consumer goods, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, mining, non-profit, publishing and telecommunications.

Along the way I have worked with genuinely visionary leaders, and alongside several of the world's top consulting firms, whom I contracted to support critical strategic projects for which I held ultimate accountability. That vantage point, being the client of those firms rather than the vendor, shapes how this firm works.

One of the things I enjoy most is coaching next generation talent and working alongside other bright-minded professionals on complex challenges. I have built teams of former top-firm consultants and high-performing internal talent, and maintain an extensive network of specialists I can bring in when an engagement calls for it.

I founded Strategy Through Synergy to share that knowledge with companies pursuing profitable growth, successful commercialization and operational excellence, in a culture where talent can grow and thrive. I look forward to connecting.

GET IN TOUCH

Tell us what you are trying to achieve.

Every engagement starts with a conversation about your organization, what you are aiming to accomplish, and whether we are the right fit to help. No obligation on either side.

Email Angelique