About the event

If you lead a strategy function, you've probably had this conversation behind closed doors: what do we actually own? In many organisations, the strategy team sits between corporate and business unit priorities, between advisory and execution, between influence and accountability. This session is a peer-level conversation for CSOs and senior strategy leaders about how to get this right. What a realistic mandate looks like, how org structure shapes what the function can do, and how to build authority and credibility even without direct control over execution.

What you'll take away

Define What Strategy Owns vs. Influences

The line between ownership and influence isn't always obvious and it shifts depending on the organisation. We'll explore what a realistic mandate looks like, and how to create clean boundaries with other functions that overlap with strategy's scope.

Navigate the Structural Trade-offs

Does strategy report to the CEO, the CFO, or sit inside a business unit? Each model comes with different trade-offs for scope, credibility, and proximity to execution. We'll talk through what senior strategy leaders are seeing work in different contexts.

Build Authority Without Formal Power

We'll discuss how CSOs and strategy leaders build credibility with stakeholders, shift from being seen as an analysis function to a team that shapes direction, and earn the kind of trust where people don't just ask for your input but actually act on it.

Our speakers

Tom Wright

Founder & CPO
at Cascade

Tom founded Cascade in 2014 with a clear conviction: strategy should be something organisations run every day, not something they present once a quarter. He led the company from an early-stage startup in Sydney to a global software company supporting thousands of leaders across industries, and was an early pioneer in AI, deploying a dedicated strategy LLM in 2017. Before Cascade, Tom held senior roles at HSBC, Bank of America, and Marks & Spencer, managing billion-dollar lending portfolios and leading strategy teams across Asia Pacific.

James Butler

Head of Strategy &
Strategic Delivery
at Ausgrid

James oversees the development and execution of Ausgrid's strategy, from delivering better services for customers and connecting new loads to innovations in batteries, EVs and energy sharing. He also leads Ausgrid's involvement in the NSW Distribution System Plan, a collaboration with Endeavour and Essential to improve long-term planning across distribution networks. He has 20+ years driving strategy, transformation and operational outcomes at Lend Lease, Qantas, Woolworths, Australia Post and QBE, and started his career at Bain & Company. He holds a Master of Engineering from Cambridge.

Paul Hawkins

Founder and Chief Combobulator
at Crazy Might Work

Paul founded Crazy Might Work in Antarctica in 2015, on a mission to bring leadership lessons from frontiers like space to the workplace. Today, the company is the leading provider of the Four-Dimensional Leadership program used by NASA, recognised at the Australian Space Industry Awards 2025. Crazy Might Work is the strategic innovation partner of peak bodies like Ageing Australia, as well as governments, agencies and multinationals around the world. Paul has worked in 20+ countries on everything from M&A to product innovation, and has a pending PhD exploring psycho-cyber co-creation at the intersection of human and artificial intelligence.

Webinar & Event Library

Browse our collection of webinars and online events built for business and strategy leaders. From strategy execution and planning to governance and frameworks, you'll find practical insights from real leaders tackling real strategic challenges. All sessions are free and available on demand.

What is cascade?

The centralized platform used to plan, execute, and track your strategy.

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FAQs

What are Cascade Academy webinars?

Cascade Academy webinars are one of our most popular event series, bringing together senior leaders from the global business community. In these 60-minute sessions, you'll hear from experts on topics like strategy execution, planning, governance, frameworks, and more. The webinars are free and online, giving leaders from around the world a chance to share real stories of what worked, what didn't, and what they learned along the way.

Who should attend?

Anyone in a leadership or decision-making role who wants practical knowledge and tools to build and execute better strategies.

When are the webinars?

We usually run one webinar per month, each with a specific live date. Once you register, you'll get the details and access link in your confirmation email. Can't make it live? We still encourage you to sign up so you get the recording afterwards. You can also browse past sessions anytime in our event library.

Will the webinars be recorded?

Yes. All webinars are recorded and shared with everyone who registers.

What is Cascade?

Cascade is the AI-powered platform for Strategy-Led Performance. It helps leadership teams make better decisions by connecting their data, context, and AI in one place, so strategy doesn't live in a slide deck but becomes how the business actually runs. Thousands of organizations use Cascade to build plans, track initiatives, and keep execution on course. Our customers are redefining the world as we know it, from battling the AIDS epidemic and establishing a supply chain for COVID-19 vaccines to building the world's fastest Formula One car.

Love how you brought strategy to the level of “common sense and problem solving” instead of some strange secret available to a selected few.

Brent Fleming

Executive Director at Mastercard

Who Owns Strategy?

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