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Headshot of Alexei Tsallis

I’m all in. Never one to play it safe, I’m a squiggly strategist building brands that don’t just stand out, they stand for something.

Picture of Alexei Tsallis outside standing next to another person
Picture of Alexei leaning over a table with sticky notes helping others in a workshop

Great strategy isn’t templated, it’s squiggly.

My name is Alexei Tsallis and I’m a squiggly strategist; trained as a graphic designer, published as a writer, forged as a social change innovation strategist, certified in brand strategy by world-leading expert Marty Neumeier and practiced as a brand strategist across the globe with a focus on designing disruptors for the long-term ‘infinite game’.

What makes me squiggly.

  • From the isolated hub of innovation that is the West Coast of Australia I’ve always been driven by two things: a passion to speak my mind and a curiosity for trying and learning from the new. After a European detour, I moved to London eager to bring my brand experience to a global stage. While I can execute strategy solo, my strength lies when my ‘squiggly strategy’ converges with that of creatives. I excel at fostering, championing and leveraging collaboration for the best advantage. From Australia to the United Kingdom I’ve made it my personal mission to find new ways to ignite creativity whether remotely or in the room.

  • I ask the right – sometimes hard – questions and dig into unexpected places, from a forgotten piece of history or a new subculture, to challenge assumptions, spot the gaps and uncover insights that others miss. Great journalists – and strategists – do their research, actively listen, read between the lines, feel what is omitted and know when to push a line of questioning. After all, you could ask the same question five different ways, and get five different answers. Data is a powerful validator yet it tells us 100% of the past, not the future. With AI levelling the playing field generating average insights accessible to everyone, the ability to uncover differentiated insights will be crucial to standing out.

  • Working in independent studios, I couldn’t hide behind mediocre results. Each agency measured success in a different way. For Studio Output it was translating strategy into creative expression through brand character. For Media on Mars it was if strategies had real world social change impact. Each agency strengthened my craft, challenged my strategic toolkit and evolved my processes – from FigJam to AI. The common ground of these agencies was a ‘tenacious spirit’, they didn’t chase awards or prioritise the ‘case study’ but wanted the work to live beyond a deck.

  • Trained as a graphic designer and having worked as one, I innately understand the creative process – how designers think and speak about problems, their critical design thinking skills and their imaginative lens on the world. My background as a published writer – trained in research, speeches and journalism – means I have a proficiency in storytelling, making me ‘fluent in copywriter’ but also adept at crafting strategies that are stories not just technical documents. I leverage these emotive storytelling skills for articulating proposals and presenting to clients with memorable, inspiring and usable manifestos. Ultimately, I translate strategy into the soul of a brand – how they could feel, sound and speak.

Alexei Tsallis standing at a podium speaking to a crowd.

Disruption for ongoing advantage.

I bring what I’ve practiced and come to know as a brand and social impact strategist to create strategies that work in the real world and create long-term advantage. Albert Einstein apparently said, ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.’ Whether you are creating a brand or an impact strategy – both require you to create belief, provide authentic value, try things that are different and to imagine a reality that doesn’t yet exist. To answer why you, not anyone else is best placed to solve this problem for the people you serve.

Alexei Tsallis walking with Joseph Lee

Branding people believe in.

Most recently I led strategic projects as a Strategist at award-winning brand agency UnitedUs creating brave brands that want to matter. Before that I worked as a Brand Strategist at London-based Studio Output – nimble disruptors who work with ambitious mission-driven organisations to smash the status quo.

My expertise was forged at innovative social change design agency Media on Mars. Collaborating with change makers, I defined strategies and activated brands – transforming words into action – and seeing the positive impact brands could create in the world.

What does my squiggly strategy look like in action?

Uniting an education charity with a strategic brand story that connects their 9,000 hectares across the UK

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Filling the world with creative joy by leading strategy on a rebrand for an independent monetisation platform

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Ideated a campaign strategy to promote a luxury automotive festival to reach new demographics.

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Leading strategy for a children’s charity delivering what matters in childhood right to Parliament

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Scaling an Irish healthtech’s global mental health product to deliver accessible care everywhere

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Uniting an education charity with a strategic brand story that connects their 9,000 hectares across the UK • Filling the world with creative joy by leading strategy on a rebrand for an independent monetisation platform • Ideated a campaign strategy to promote a luxury automotive festival to reach new demographics. • Leading strategy for a children’s charity delivering what matters in childhood right to Parliament • Scaling an Irish healthtech’s global mental health product to deliver accessible care everywhere •

Cracking the code on a strategy and name powering an AI biotech to discover RNAi medicines

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Cooking up a strategy and name in days – rebranding Prept to transform UK food culture.

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Uncovering a strategic membership experience for a British icon so the public can help the natural world

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Coordinating the first ever risk broking proposition for a global billion dollar broking firm

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Cracking the code on a strategy and name powering an AI biotech to discover RNAi medicines • Cooking up a strategy and name in days – rebranding Prept to transform UK food culture. • Uncovering a strategic membership experience for a British icon so the public can help the natural world • Coordinating the first ever risk broking proposition for a global billion dollar broking firm •

  • Certified as a brand strategist by Marty Neumeier’s brand program.

    A graduate of Level C, co-founded by world renowned brand experts Marty Neumeier and Andy Starr, I know how to create differentiation and a competitive advantage for the long-term. To find out more about Level C click here.

  • Alexei Tsallis standing in Optus Stadium along with her client to receive the award.

    Won an Innovation Award for a menstrual cycle education startup.

    Our team (including medical researcher Felicity Roux and Media on Mars principal Kammi Rapsey) was recognised for the My Vital Cycles online training program. The program is designed to educate secondary students about menstrual health and the ovulatory cycle.

  • Picture of Alexei Tsallis explaining something to two other women sitting around a table.

    Dare to Lead Trained by Brené Brown facilitators for courageous cultures.

    I have received training from Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitators on how to show up as a leader in a workplace and build a culture where you operationalise your values. I then activated these learnings to build strong employer brands that resonate and are measurable.

  • Cover of The Invictus Games Foundation Sydney 2018 Official Photography Book

    Co-wrote a book for The Invictus Games Foundation.

    At 20 years-old I stepped up from an intern role to co-write stories of the Sydney Games – Prince Harry’s global athletic competition for veterans – with copies in Buckingham Palace and the National Library of Australia. If you want to read more about The Invictus Games Foundation click here.

  • Image of Alexei Tsallis on a Zoom Call

    Won over $10 million in brand and campaign work in 3 years.

    I worked as a Business Development Coordinator, creating growth opportunities for over 15 clients – winning work through pitching, proposal writing and co-designing projects with clients. When I left the role I had successfully scheduled more multi-year projects over a three year pipeline. I continued this work, successfully pitching and winning £100k at Studio Output and developed Brand Activation Launch Plans with growth roadmaps at UnitedUs.

  • Naming Workshop with Alexei Tsallis Presenting

    Developed the new Naming service offering for brand agency UnitedUs.

    After working on a few naming projects at agency UnitedUs I developed a new model and approach to naming. This was prototyped into a Naming Criteria and a new Naming methodology. Along with this I developed a commercial toolkit for potential clients to objectively understand how large of an investment a naming project might be.

Some nice words…

  • “My first impression is that Alexei is enthused with warmth and energy, under which lies a steely determination to get things done.”

    Felicity Roux, Director of My Vital Cycles

  • "Brilliant strategists are people who possess the ability to think both broadly - pulling in wide-ranging experiences, insights and references - and deeply, getting into the weeds of a challenge. Through her rich and varied pathway into brand strategy, Alexei delivers exactly that."

    Natalie Burns, Strategy Partner at UnitedUs

  • "Her creativity, professionalism, and dedication to ensuring that every stakeholder voice was heard were outstanding. Alexei brought clarity, energy, and insight to a complex project, helping to shape a brand that truly reflects Buttle’s mission and values."

    Analiese Doctrove, Director of Marketing & Fundraising at Buttle UK

  • “Alexei’s outstanding problem solving and emotional intelligence makes her a powerful ally and a creative change maker.”

    Sue Crock, Co-Founder of This Working Life & Workplace Wellbeing Expert

  • “Creative, considered, collaborative and kind, Alexei is a joy to work with. She’s super smart and has a brilliant way of looking at things that helps bring out the best in people’s brains – I definitely feel inspired when we work together. Plus, she's great at giving constructive feedback and instilling confidence too.”

    Lucy Henshaw, Freelance Copywriter (whilst at Studio Output)

  • "You’re incredibly good at facilitating. You manage to deliver work really well. You can hear something five minutes before and totally own it five minutes after. Lean into that – that’s your superpower. And a lot of the work that we do is going to be like that because Output is a hyper collaborative agency."

    Lucia McGuinness, Freelance Strategy Director (worked with at Studio Output)

  • “Alexei is a creative visionary who has a natural ability to empathise, understand and translate her client’s message and vision. The world’s future is bright with emerging leaders like Alexei.”

    Nicky Gazey, Co-Founder of IDEA Academy

  • “Alexei has been instrumental. Beyond work, her enthusiasm and dedication demonstrates how knowledge and passion can make a profound difference.”

    Dr Scott Hollier, CEO of the Centre for Accessibility Australia

Belief, trust
& pixie dust.

I don’t believe you. These are the words that no brand want’s to hear. Yet in an age where sameness is safe, average is expected and it’s easier to follow a trend rather than lead one yourself – belief in brand is the determining factor between brands that are thriving and brands that are stagnantly surviving. I want to make brands mean something to the people that matter most – their audience. So make me believe that your brand is worth working for; make me believe your agency dares to do strategy differently.