What Strategic Advisory Really Looks Like at Veros

Strategic advisory is often misunderstood, but at Veros, it’s anything but vague. In this piece, Senior Strategic Advisor Jessica Cushing breaks down what real-world strategy looks like: not fluffy reports, but focused action that helps projects get funded, move forward, and deliver real outcomes.

Jessica leads complex strategic and advisory work at Veros, drawing on her background in communications, crisis navigation, and stakeholder engagement to help public and private sector clients unlock progress, align priorities, and build momentum.

After a year at Veros, I figured it was time to set the record straight.

Around the office, and sometimes in client conversations, the Strategic Advisory team gets playfully labelled as the spaghetti crew, the fluff department, or the people who sprinkle glitter on things. And look, I get it. There’s some truth to the banter, we do like a metaphor, and Morgan definitely brings the sparkle.

But beneath the jokes, I think there’s a real opportunity to reshape how we talk about strategy. Not just as a concept, but as a practice.

Because strategy at Veros isn’t tangled, vague, or decorative. It’s focused. It’s hands-on. It’s what helps projects move from stuck to shovel ready.

So to reframe it I asked a few people, from inside Veros and beyond to describe strategy in simple, everyday terms. No jargon. Just real talk about what it actually feels like to do this work.

Here’s what they said.

Strategy in pictures

Communications Partner, Supermarket and Retail Industry

“Strategy is about honesty, foresight, and direction.”

Mirror: We reflect reality, even when it’s uncomfortable. Strategy starts with a clear-eyed look at what’s true.
Telescope: We scan the horizon to anticipate what’s ahead. It’s about long-range vision, not just quick wins.
Map: We chart the path forward. From point A to point B, strategy gives the journey structure, shape, and momentum.

Chief Strategy Officer, Media Industry

“Strategy keeps things aligned, moving, and adaptable.”

Compass: Projects drift. Strategy helps course-correct and stay aligned to purpose.
Sheepdog: It’s about keeping people (and progress) moving in the same direction, with a nudge when needed.
Recipe Book: Experience matters. But so does knowing when to follow the steps and when to swap ingredients.

Jess Cushing, Veros Strategic Advisory (My take)

“Strategy gets hands-on, especially when things are hard.”

Shovel: Sometimes we dig. Through funding blocks, political noise, or inertia, to get projects ‘shovel ready’.
Pickle: Every project hits a jam or sometimes clients find themselves in a pickle. We help find smart, practical ways to move forward.
Swiss Army Knife: Strategic Advisors are adaptable. Even in unfamiliar territory, we slot in, get stuck in, and keep the project and the people involved focused on the best possible outcomes.

And from others in the Veros team…

Paul Spurdle described our spirit animal as the owl, calm in the chaos, cutting through noise, and always holding onto clarity.

Mat Gibbard called us bridge builders, not just solving problems, but helping people work together through them.

Together, those metaphors capture the heart of strategic advisory at Veros: insight, alignment, and action.

So, what does that actually look like?

At Veros, strategic advisory is about unlocking progress.

That might look different from project to project, but the outcomes are consistent: clarity, momentum, and better decisions.

Some of the approaches I bring to the table come from prior work in communications, engagement, and crisis response, but the heart of what we do at Veros is clear, strategic direction.

Feasibility Studies and Business Cases: We turn ideas into evidence. Our work underpins smart investment decisions, a recent example of this is the Taupō District Council waste minimisation fund application.
Funding Strategies: We secure viable, structured funding. We build the business case, the plan, and the pathway. We’re currently working with a number of Community Sports Clubs to help them achieve funding to build new facilities.
Stakeholder Alignment: Especially when there’s tension or multiple competing priorities, we bring groups together with shared purpose. Like our work delivering the Tairua Skatepark for a community stuck in division.=
Opportunity Unlocking: We think beyond the brief, identifying wider benefits and creating broader value for communities. An example is our work with Ngāti Porou Surf Lifesaving Club, where we are moving beyond traditional delivery models to assess the real needs of the community and stakeholders, ensuring the outputs deliver lasting impact.
Crisis and Issue Navigation: While not a day-to-day offering, my background in navigating crises, from the Whakaari White Island eruption response to working with major building companies to resolve complex and publicly protested land disputes, brings added depth when projects hit tricky ground.
Communications and Engagement: I bring experience in engagement and message management, helping teams own the narrative and maintain trust when it matters. We support large corporate clients in protecting their reputations and navigating complex stakeholder relationships.

How we do it.

So how do we actually work? These are the principles we come back to, no matter the project.

Engage Early – We build buy-in from the beginning. It saves time, cost, and reputational risk later.

Fast, But Flexible – We’re known for our “rapid-fire feasibilities,” that get us to the finish line early, then we focus on ensuring we’ve paved the path well to get there, and we know when to slow down when it counts.

Tackle the Tough Stuff – We don’t shy away from the hard bits. That’s usually where we’re needed most. Clients often try to navigate challenges themselves, then come to us when things start to unravel or fall short at the decision table.

Own the Narrative – We help clients be upfront, shape the message, and lead the conversation from the outset.

Plan for the Storm – We prep for crisis before it hits, so projects can keep moving through anything.

When to call us in.

Not sure if you need us? These are the moments where we make the biggest difference.

You need to prove the case to funders, communities, or decision-makers.
A project’s stuck and you need clarity on how to unblock it.
There’s no clear path forward, we’ll help find one.
There are many stakeholders in play, and progress is slow.
You’re navigating reputation, risk, or public pressure, we’ve done it at scale.

Final word.

Veros strategy isn’t a side note, it’s the engine room for project clarity, direction, and delivery. We’re not just here to write reports. We’re here to make things real – so they get the support they need, so they get funded, so they get delivered and so they are effective.

So yes, we’ll keep the glitter. But let’s also call it what it is: sharp, commercial, grounded strategy, delivered with purpose.

Ready to unlock progress, gain clarity, or get your project moving again?

Get in touch to talk strategy — or join the conversation on LinkedIn and let us know what you think.