Smith Strategic was built from experience, not ambition.
Every capability the firm offers — every network, every relationship, every area of expertise — was earned in practice, across careers spent operating at the highest levels of government, business and investment.
That history is what makes the difference when the stakes are high.
Smith Strategic was founded by Tully Smith.
Tully built his career at the intersection of strategic communications, government relations, geopolitics and corporate affairs. A proven leader and operator, he has held senior executive positions spanning government, sport and the private sector — including roles with top-ten ASX-listed companies.
With deep international experience, Tully served as General Manager of the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia and as Chief Executive Officer of the Australia India Chamber of Commerce — roles that placed him at the centre of the Australia-US and Australia-India commercial relationships at pivotal moments in both.
His success as a strategist and communicator has seen Tully twice named to the Ipsos Global Reputation Council — widely regarded as the definitive list of the world's most influential communicators. With approximately 100 people selected globally each year, Tully is one of only a small number of Australians to have been recognised.
As a founder and investor, Tully has supported a number of start-up businesses, with particular expertise in emerging technology and fast-moving consumer goods. Over time, his networks — spanning government, commerce and investment across multiple continents — became the foundation for a practice in originating and facilitating high-value cross-border transactions, including in critical minerals and sovereign energy markets.
It was this breadth of experience that led Tully to establish Smith Strategic: a firm built to bring together the very best networks, expertise and resources in service of the organisations that need them most.
Officially established in 2020 in Melbourne — one of the world's most cosmopolitan and internationally connected cities — Smith Strategic's roots go back considerably further.
Entrepreneurial ventures commencing in regional Australia in the mid-2000s set in motion a journey that would ultimately shape the firm's founding philosophy: that the best strategic advice is grounded in experience, delivered by people who have operated in the environments they advise on.
Founded on the eve of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the firm has evolved considerably since — expanding its capabilities, deepening its geographic footprint across Australia, India, China, the United States, Canada and Europe, and developing trusted relationships with some of Australia's most respected organisations and individuals.
With the geopolitical and economic tensions of the Indo-Pacific set to define the coming decades, Smith Strategic is positioned where it matters most.
Today Tully leads Smith Strategic alongside his partner in both business and life, Agnieszka. A design thinking expert and innovation consultant with more than 20 years of experience imagining and launching digital products and strategies, Agnieszka leads Thrive Matrix — part of the Smith Strategic group.
Her work implementing innovation processes and operating models helps Smith Strategic's investments and clients consistently outperform in their industries. Where Tully brings government, geopolitical and commercial expertise, Agnieszka brings the rigour of design thinking and the operational depth of two decades in digital innovation.
Doing the most good - it’s at the core of everything we do.
We have a commitment to give back and we stand by it. Working with organisations and supporting causes that impact lasting change.
We are proud to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Australia and the Wyndham Health Foundation.