CFO Strategy Brief 2: Strategy, Scale & Survival in Australian Oligopolies

The CFO Strategy Brief - CSOsandbox

In Australia’s tightly held markets, competition isn’t about slashing prices, it’s about strategic orchestration. “The Duopoly Diaries” unpacks how dominant players in sectors like groceries, construction, and aviation build enduring advantage through non-price strategies: loyalty ecosystems, automation, branding, and control of scarce assets. Drawing on real-world case studies and ACCC investigations, this podcast explores how firms like Woolworths, Coles, Boral, and Qantas strengthen their market presence through alignment across market positioning, strategic assets, differentiating activities, and performance improvements. For strategists, policymakers, and curious listeners alike, this series reveals the hidden mechanics of market dominance in Australia’s most concentrated industries.

This series is designed for Chief Financial Officers and senior leaders who want to master the art of managing a strategy system—not just a plan. We explore the principles of Third Wave Strategy (www.csosandbox.com), a forward-thinking approach that transforms strategy into a continuous, enterprise-wide capability. The content is equally valuable for corporate executives, consultants, and advisors.

Why Listen?

• Learn how to build a living strategy system that adapts and regenerates.
• Discover practical tools and frameworks for managing complexity and uncertainty.
• Gain insights from research and real-world applications through our Strategic Management Institute and CSOsandbox platform.

Supporting this journey is stratāgaia (www.phsandl.com/strategicintelligence), our Power BI-based strategy app . It’s not just a dashboard—it’s a dynamic, enterprise-wide BI platform that brings strategy to life, enabling leaders to visualise, monitor, and steer strategic performance in real time.

Additional Resources

• Video Bites: Watch short, actionable insights on our https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwW1QK_4P31MtXyYGmJOyUg.