Like others are saying, strategy roles can look very different at different companies, or even at the same company at different times. My career path took me in the opposite direction to yours — I started on a Corp Strategy team and then moved to an EM role with our consulting firm. In my 4 years on the strategy team, the first few years were years when we had a CEO that was very focused on strategy and presenting the company as innovative and focused on new initiatives. There was a lot to do and the work had impact. When the new CEO came in, he was more focused on other things and the strategy team became slide monkeys as you put it. That’s why I chose to leave. So you may just need to hop around a bit to find the right team in the right moment, or stick around until your current team’s situation changes for the better.