We help our clients to understand, engage, and unlock the potential of the Greater Western Sydney market.

About StratWest

StratWest is a dynamic consultancy focused exclusively on the boom region of Greater Western Sydney - Australia’s third largest economy and population. We help public, private, and community organisations navigate hurdles, tell their stories, and engage their stakeholders across GWS.

We specialise in property and infrastructure projects, retail centres, education and health institutions, finance, defence, utilities and manufacturing, arts, tourism and sport sectors, government agencies and not-for-profits.

Relevant experience

Before creating this new, GWS-focused business, most of the StratWest team worked in executive roles at national strategy firm, Taylor Street Advisory and at the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue. A sample of the team’s collective experience is provided. More is available on request.
CITY OF PARRAMATTA
LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL
PENRITH LAKES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Our team has worked with:

GWS is:
Bigger than Brisbane City.
The GWS economy is valued at $169+ billion annually, and is the largest SME market in Australia.
Diverse.
46% of GWS residents use a language other than English at home. This is in comparison to 37% of Greater Sydney residents.
Growing.
GWS accounts for over half (53%) of Greater Sydney’s population now and is projected to reach 4m residents by 2050.
An engine room.
Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, and Construction are the top 3 employment industries of GWS residents.
Influential.
GWS voters are increasingly the determinant of Federal and State elections, with marginality, size and growth driving this trend. This dynamic is of major strategic interest to politicians and journalists alike.

Expert advisory board

Christopher Brown AM
Chair | StratWest Expert Advisory Board
Chairman | Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue

Christopher Brown AM serves as Honorary Chair of the regional think-thank NGO, Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue.

For twenty years Christopher led two of the nation’s most powerful industry peak bodies, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia and Tourism & Transport Forum – comprising CEOs from across the upper echelons of Australia’s public and private sector leadership cohort.

He has designed and led coalitions to secure and support some of the region’s most iconic projects, such as Western Sydney Airport and the Metro Rail that connects it, Parramatta Light Rail, Moorebank Intermodal’s inland port, the Powerhouse Museum, Accor and CommBank Stadiums and the Western Sydney Parklands.

Raised and educated in Parramatta, Christopher Brown was awarded Australian Honours for his service to industry and community in 2014.

Kathy Jones
Chair | ECF

Kathy is co-founder and Director of leading communications and engagement firm, Engage. Communicate. Facilitate. (ECF), with offices in Sydney and London. She is one of Australia’s leading strategic advisors, known for her work helping CEOs, Departmental Secretaries, boards, and senior management staff manage issues and policy change contexts.

She founded KJA in Australia in 2001 and for nearly 20 years her team provided high level strategic advice, issues management, leadership and project delivery for some of the nation’s major transport, health and infrastructure projects. Under her ownership, the company grew to over 70 staff and was sold internationally.

She is now working as Chair of ECF and sits on the boards of start up companies as well as civil society institutions in both Australia and the UK including Karitane and the newDemocracy Foundation. Kathy is also currently the Chair of the NSW Property Council’s Precincts Committee and a Board member of the Metropolitan Memorial Parks for the NSW State Government.

David Borger
Executive Director | Business Western Sydney

David is the Executive Director of Business Western Sydney - a not-for-profit business group representing more than 130 of the region’s largest organisations in government, industry and community. It advocates for public and private sector investment that will make the region a better place to live, work, play and learn.

David has also served as a NSW Government Minister for Roads, Housing, Western Sydney and as Lord Mayor of the City of Parramatta.

He currently serves on several boards including Sydney Olympic Park Authority, NRMA, Evolve Housing, and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.

Jacqueline Vozzo
President | Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA NSW)

A highly respected executive leader, Jacqueline is a Director of Western Sydney Lakes, one of the most significant urban regeneration projects in Western Sydney. She is a passionate advocate for Western Sydney and her recent appointment to the Board came following six plus years as CEO. During this period she was responsible for developing and leading the strategic transformational vision for the 2000HA precinct to become a world-class destination for recreation, tourism and commercial assets together with overseeing the construction of flood mitigation infrastructure, managing the rehabilitation and conservation of significant lakes, parkland assets and wildlife habitat, and instrumental in building the profile of both the company and precinct including leading a compelling media and political campaign to gain popular support opening the first inland lake beach in Penrith.

Jacqueline is also the NSW President of the Urban Development Institute of Australia , leading the industry body which represents more than 500 member companies and agencies across the public and private sector advocating to create a positive regulatory environment and sustainable development sector.

A solicitor by background, she has spent nearly 20 years working in a broad range of industry segments across legal, property and development. In 2023, she was named the winner of the Business NSW, Outstanding Business Leader of the Year Award.

Our people

Sean Graham
Senior Manager, Engagement & Advisory

Sean is a specialist in government policy and engagement, and has a background in economics, foreign affairs and trade, defence, and health.

He has worked across all areas of the policy landscape – in private consulting firms, federal government, and non-profits. Sean has deep experience in policy analysis, strategic communications, and political strategy, having provided advice at the highest levels of government on matters relating to national security, trade, and foreign affairs.

Sean has expertise in developing and executing government engagement strategies and policy submissions, advising on government policy and decision- making processes, and supporting businesses to navigate commercial challenges and leverage opportunities in the Australian market.

Jessica Commins
Director

Jessica Commins is a seasoned property executive, with 20+ years of domestic and international experience advising retail developers, asset owners and operators, and has also worked in Equities Research for Deutsche Bank.

She spent many years at Scentre Group (formerly Westfield) as National Manager, Strategic Research, reporting directly to the Group CEO. She also supported Scentre’s operational strategies and development pipeline and established a global knowledge network for the business by forming a partnership with other Westfield offices in USA & UK. She represented Scentre in external industry forums and was involved with the company’s executive leadership development programs.

Her career history includes economics and planning consulting (Macroplan Dimasi), retail chain potential support (TJX Europe in London), a previous stint with Westfield in Centre Management and as Director of Research & Finance at Taylor Street Advisory. Recent TSA roles included advisory briefs for AMP Capital, QIC Global Real Estate, Inner West Council, Australian Turf Club and Quantium.

Jess holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Law from the University of Qld, and an MBA from the prestigious Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (USA).

Brett Towers
Chief Commercial Officer

Brett brings 20 years’ of sales, marketing and stakeholder management experience to his StratWest role.

Brett draws on his extensive knowledge of industry and government networks, to provide advice and support to StratWest’s stakeholders.

He has served in commercial, marketing and strategy roles with Business Events Sydney, Tourism Australia and Luna Park Sydney, and as a policy manager at the Tourism & Transport Forum.

Brett was one of the co-hosts who curated and led the East London Study Tour in 2019 and 2024. He has also helped deliver the Collaborative Leadership Program in recent years – both StratWest initiatives.

His primary interests in the policy sphere include tackling social inequities faced by Western Sydney communities, addressing environmental challenges, and ensuring positive physical, intellectual, and social legacies are achieved.

Discover the team