Aaron C Lee - Business and Brand Strategist

Clarity before creativity.

25 years aligning business strategy with
brand strategy across Australasia.

25 years aligning business strategy with brand strategy across Australasia.

About

For 25 years I have partnered with founders, CEOs and leadership teams who are building, scaling and repositioning businesses across Australasia. I have worked across property and development, luxury and lifestyle, professional services, hospitality, automotive, finance, family offices, education, motorsport and not-for-profit sectors. In property alone, the brand and strategy work I have led has contributed to in excess of $1.6B in sales and leasing results.

The common thread is always the same. Businesses grow when their strategy is clear and their people are aligned behind it.

I think commercially.
I work collaboratively.
I care about outcomes.

Whether I am in the room with a leadership team working through a growth plan or shaping how a brand shows up in market, my role is to help people see what they cannot see from the inside and make better decisions because of it.

What I Do

I have built and lead two enterprises around one belief. Strategy comes first. FutureState™ Agency delivers the strategic direction. Caramel Creative delivers the creative execution.

I founded Caramel Creative in 2005. For 20 years, Caramel has been the execution partner, turning strategic direction into creative work that performs. Identity systems, campaigns, digital platforms, video production and brand management across every touchpoint.

Visit Caramel Creative

I co-founded FutureState™ Agency with Cara Lee in 2025 to formalise the strategic work I had been doing for over two decades. The consultancy works at the intersection of business strategy and brand strategy, helping leadership teams get aligned before they invest in execution. We also provide fractional Chief Strategy Officer services for SME businesses.

Visit FutureState™ Agency

Other Ventures

I do not only advise. I build. Across my career I have founded, co-founded and operated my own ventures alongside client work. I have also taken financial interest in client businesses as both a strategic and creative partner, and as an investor. These are some of the ventures outside of my two core businesses.

Vice President
2022 - Present

I serve on the board of Charity Drive Days, a registered charity that hosts track days on Australia's premier racing circuits with all proceeds going to charitable causes. Over $4.1 million distributed to date. Caramel Creative has donated all brand identity, website and ongoing creative services to the organisation since 2016.

Co-Creator
2022 - 2024

I co-created and delivered the Dirty Warrny gravel cycling event through Round Events alongside Karin Jones, in partnership with the Warrnambool Citizens Road Race Committee (WCRRC). We ran the first three editions of what has become known as the Southern Hemisphere's 'greatest gravel monument'.

Co-Founder
2020 - 2025

A content platform and events business I co-founded to celebrate classic and sports car culture through video, editorial and events. The Motorists created the Concours d’Elegance at Pt. Leo Estate, bringing together collectors, enthusiasts and partners including Watches of Switzerland and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

Founder
2012 - 2019

I built GroundControlPRO™, an interactive property sales platform for developers, project marketers and sales agents. The product managed sales and marketing coordination across the full project lifecycle, accessible from any device. Operated for eight years before exiting in 2019.

Connect

I am always happy to talk strategy. If you have a business or brand challenge you are working through, get in touch.

I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country across Australia, recognising their enduring connection to land, waters, and community. We honour and pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.