227 Partners
Executive Counsel
Public Affairs
Stakeholder Relations
About Us
227 Partners is a public affairs, executive counsel, media and stakeholder engagement consultancy focused on Australia and our nation’s progress and prosperity.
At a time when government is more interventionist in its policy making and settings, and targeted communications with external stakeholders are crucial, we ensure our clients' priorities are well understood within Australia’s parliaments, government agencies, and the key external stakeholders that are critical to business success.
Our team brings together expertise in public policy, economics, communications, and stakeholder and community engagement. This enables 227 Partners to design and execute effective strategies and advocacy programs, working with extensive political, public and private sector networks, to deliver outcomes for our clients.
How We Work
Each of our team members have gained extensive expertise and experience from senior roles in public service, government and the private sector. Their range of networks are deep and cross sector – throughout Australian local, state and federal governments, party organisations, industry associations and major private and listed corporations.
Deep Expertise and Experience
Importantly – where there is an interface between public and private sectors – the 227 Partners team brings together knowledge and experience on how to get things done in complex political, regulatory and social environments. The speed of changing global and domestic markets, makes this understanding and experience ever more valuable for our clients in achieving outcomes.
Close Client Collaboration
A boutique firm focused on applying senior level resources to our client’s needs, 227 Partners play a hands-on approach, in collaboration with our client’s internal executive and management teams, providing insights and advice and developing quality policy, media relations and community engagement strategies to achieve required objectives.
227 Partners successfully deploy these strategies by utilising our extensive networks and experience and garnering strong support for the client’s desired outcomes.
“Pandemic-induced inflation, constraints in supply chains, and associated cost-of-living pressures, a global energy transition, and rising geopolitical and security concerns - all of these factors have resulted in a new era of deeper government activity and intervention in the marketplace, media landscape, industry and community.”
Services
We provide advisory services and generate ideas and solutions that deliver better outcomes for our clients.
Our focus is on what will work commercially and financially in addition to politically. This perspective has helped identify and prove up strategies and tactics for execution that are both realistic and compelling.
Government Relations
227 Partners assists clients on matters of public policy at federal, state and local levels. We coordinate advocacy, help respond to parliamentary committees and inquiries, review and prepare government submissions, and draft complex briefing and proposal documents, such as planning proposals and unsolicited proposals to government.
We assist clients in engagement with public sector agencies in progressing through regulatory approvals processes, and in securing required approvals, to enable projects to happen.
Executive Counsel
227 Partners supports clients in originating, managing and securing business opportunities. This includes all aspects of developing new business, from executive counsel in developing market entry strategy, to identifying and assessing unique opportunities and risks, to assembling the necessary resources, to preparing for and securing foreign investment board and other approvals required for transactions to proceed.
Our services are particularly important for clients and their executives where transactions involve key political and regulatory considerations.
Economic, Regulatory Analysis and Policy Development
227 Partners brings to clients a deep understanding of how government works and how it can impact or support commercial opportunities. Our services include economic and business case analysis to support new investment proposals, briefings on current political factors that influence market tends and commercial value in potential transactions, analysis of issues impacting key political and public sector stakeholders, and assistance with executive government and public sector agency engagement.
Media and Stakeholder Engagement
227 Partners develops media relations and stakeholder engagement strategies that support our clients’ business objectives.
We find effective media and stakeholder relations are critical to informing investors, regulators and external stakeholders as to the benefits of new proposals, in particular new project developments or company mergers, and how particular communities will benefit from them.
“Today, businesses, investors, industry and community groups must be equipped to navigate opportunities and challenges at the private-public interface.”
Our Team
Susanna Montrone
Executive Director
Susanna is a trusted adviser working with global and ASX listed companies to navigate complex policy and regulatory environments. With deep networks across government, and an understanding of how to build collaborative partnerships between the private and public sectors to deliver reform and manage issues, she ensures effective engagement for clients with government policy makers, regulators and investors as a core part of business success.
Susanna has served in senior roles in government across her career including as Cabinet Director to the New South Wales Deputy Premier during the Covid pandemic, Director of Legislative Affairs for the then Government in NSW’s Upper House, and Chief of Staff at the Powerhouse Museum during its $1.2 billion renewal. More recently she has worked to pioneer precinct partnerships at a local level, and with major philanthropic institutions on policy reform and political leadership. She volunteers her time on the board of Muscular Dystrophy NSW.
Jason de Sousa
Senior Advisor
Jason’s strength lies in his deep understanding of the intersection between business, markets and public policy. Prior to leading Ideia Partners, Jason was an Executive Director at Lendlease Corporation focused on strategy, origination and investment in major infrastructure and real estate projects across the Company’s Australian and international portfolio. Prior to this he served in senior policy and leadership roles at both the State and Commonwealth levels of government in Australia.
Jason has acted for public and private sector clients in Asia and Australasia advising on public private partnerships, infrastructure investment strategy, and regulation. He has a particular interest in how to unlock the potential of cities, focusing on how infrastructure and urban renewal projects can make cities more affordable, efficient and accessible, and create value for public and private investors.
Jason holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Australian Graduate School of Management, a Master of International Relations and a Bachelor of Economics from Macquarie University.
Andrew Huckel
Senior Advisor
Andrew has operated at a senior level in corporate, financial and government/public affairs for more than 20 years, including as the former Director of Corporate Affairs for Australia’s largest private rail freight company. At Pacific National, he was involved in the delivery of inland regional Australia’s largest intermodal terminal at Parkes (Central West , New South Wales) and St Marys Freight Hub in Western Sydney.
Major infrastructure projects overseen by Andrew included Sydney’s WestConnex and NorthConnex motorways, upgrades to the Pacific, Princes, Great Western and Newell highways, Bridges for the Bush, and Fixing Country Roads and Rail. He was also involved in the development of the state’s first Freight and Ports Strategy.
Andrew has a deep knowledge and understanding of how to navigate large and complex government agencies and engage with the executive of government. Andrew is a three-time graduate of The University of Sydney, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and 2004 recipient of a Churchill Fellowship.