The Action Exchange

The Action Exchange is a Sydney, Australia based communications and public relations agency specialising in thought leadership, research, and stakeholder engagement. The firm strategically partners with organisations to navigate complex commercial, political, and institutional environments, assisting them in advocating effectively and engaging senior decision makers. Their clientele primarily includes executives, investors, policymakers, and institutional stakeholders who require intellectually serious and strategically relevant ideas to deepen relationships and influence public debate. The Action Exchange helps organisations lead complex conversations by earning authority through ideas, insight, and engagement.

Founded by Jessica Brown and Leonie Phillips, who bring almost two decades of collaborative experience from policy think tanks and editorial institutions, The Action Exchange was established to fill a gap in the Australian market. They observed a need for an agency that combines hard-nosed analysis, editorial rigour and the skills to scale engagement exclusively for sophisticated, senior audiences. Their unique approach sits in the "missing middle" between traditional strategy and communications, leveraging rigorous business intelligence, editorial judgement, policy understanding, and direct engagement. The founders' extensive backgrounds in research, policy, and strategic communications across global organisations distinguish their methodology.

Jessica Brown, Co-Founder and Partner, possesses over 15 years of global experience in convening experts, business leaders, and policymakers to build consensus and achieve policy impact. A widely published author and policy analyst, she has worked with major global clients in Asia, Europe, the US and the Middle East, specialising in integrated engagement, research, analysis, and high-level events. Leonie Phillips, also Co-Founder and Partner, has two decades of experience in executing ideas, communications, and advocacy campaigns. Her expertise spans ESG, finance, taxation, innovation, and infrastructure, with senior roles at think tanks, regulators, and research institutions in North America and Australia. Their combined leadership provides a robust foundation of diverse and international expertise.

The Action Exchange’s services are structured around three core areas: Ideas and Insights, Engagement and Relationship Building, and Impact and Influence. They undertake qualitative research, knowledge mobilisation, business intelligence, and produce whitepapers and reports. Furthermore, they are adept at stakeholder engagement, coalition building, strategic communications, insight-led outreach for institutional audiences, roundtables, and events. To drive impact, they offer op-eds, media commentary, amplification and PR, executive communications, speechwriting, and thought leadership coaching. The agency is dedicated to translating complex knowledge into resonant ideas for external audiences.