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Commentary, analysis, and practical perspectives on the challenges facing enterprise organisations across financial services, public sector, and healthcare.

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Why most building society strategies fail at execution

A well-crafted strategy document is not a strategy. For building societies navigating margin pressure and digital disruption, the gap between strategic intent and operational reality is where value is lost. We examine the most common failure points - and what boards can do about them.

Matt Oliver

May 2026 · 7 min read

About the author

Matt Oliver

Founding Partner

Matt is the Founding Partner of Stratos Consulting, with over 25 years of experience across multiple sectors. Most recently he served as CTO and Managing Director of a management consultancy business.

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Leadership6 min read

The leadership challenge facing newly merged local authorities

Local government reorganisation creates significant leadership complexity. When two or more councils merge, the structural challenge is straightforward compared to the cultural and human one. Drawing on our work with several reorganising authorities, we set out what effective leadership looks like in the first 18 months.

Matt Oliver

April 2026

Finance8 min read

Management information that actually informs management

Most MI packs tell leadership teams what happened last month. The best ones tell them what is likely to happen next - and where to focus attention now. We explore the design principles behind MI frameworks that genuinely support decision-making at board and executive level.

Matt Oliver

March 2026

Operations9 min read

Sustainable savings in local government: beyond the easy cuts

Most councils have already made the straightforward efficiency savings. What remains requires a more fundamental rethink of how services are designed and delivered. We set out a framework for identifying and delivering sustainable savings without compromising the services residents depend on.

Matt Oliver

February 2026

Leadership6 min read

Succession planning in financial services: the hidden risk on every board agenda

Regulatory scrutiny of succession planning has increased significantly in recent years, yet many financial services firms still treat it as a compliance exercise rather than a strategic priority. We examine what genuine succession planning looks like - and why it matters more than ever.

Matt Oliver

January 2026

Strategy7 min read

What good looks like: corporate strategy in the public sector

Public sector strategy is harder than it looks. Political cycles, resource constraints, and the breadth of stakeholder expectations create a uniquely complex environment. We draw on our work with councils, NHS bodies, and other public organisations to set out what genuinely effective corporate strategy looks like.

Matt Oliver

December 2025

Finance8 min read

Financial resilience in the NHS: lessons from the front line

NHS trusts and ICBs are operating under sustained financial pressure. The organisations that are managing best share a number of common characteristics - in their governance, their use of data, and in the relationship between their finance and clinical leadership. We examine what sets them apart.

Matt Oliver

November 2025

Operations7 min read

Operating model design for challenger banks: avoiding the scale-up trap

Challenger banks that grow quickly often find their operating models cannot keep pace. The informal structures and workarounds that work at 50 people become serious liabilities at 500. We explore the operating model decisions that determine whether a challenger bank can scale sustainably.

Matt Oliver

October 2025

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