MARC LEVY
FOUNDER / DIRECTOR
CHIARA LAWRY
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT & FACILITATOR
ZOE PAPPAS
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT & FACILITATOR
DEBBIE WILLIAMS
SENIOR EXPERT & FACILITATOR
MICHAEL LIVINGSTONE
PRINCIPAL & FACILITATOR
JESS COSSENS
ENGAGEMENT MANAGER & FACILITATOR
LAUREN SPITERI
ENGAGEMENT MANAGER
MARC LEVY (FOUNDER / DIRECTOR)
With 600 board and executive team strategy workshops and nearly 25 years of management consulting under his belt, Marc has seen pretty much anything that can happen when a room full of smart people grapple with the challenges facing their organisation.
Marc’s areas of speciality and examples of client experience include:
- Strategy and planning: Running a third consecutive strategic planning process for one of Australia’s largest super funds. Leading processes to cascade corporate strategies, initiatives and metrics through to business and divisional plans and individuals’ performance development plans.
- Vision and purpose: Assisting clients in professional services, financial services, consumer and industrial products, and the social sector to create galvanising company statements that provide context for strategic decision making and act as a rallying point for employees.
- Growth: Leading projects centred on growth options evaluation, pricing, merger candidate qualification, new product and market feasibility, and brand strategy.
- Organisation: Working with clients on organisation design, decision making, meeting effectiveness, service provider alignment and resource allocation optimisation. He also helps clients to align their organisation structures and operating rhythms to their strategies.
Clients have described Marc’s style as ‘facilitation with an edge’ because of his ability to stimulate and maintain high levels of participant engagement while discussing complex and often contentious issues. By focusing on results, listening hard, and synthesising and shaping content on his feet, Marc is able to move participants through an enormous amount of content in a relatively short period of time, and leave groups feeling confident and empowered as they see their contributions turned into actionable next steps.
Marc has written more than 30 articles on topics relating to strategy, planning and facilitation. He holds a bachelors degree from Monash, and an MBA and PhD from the University of Melbourne.
ZOE PAPPAS (PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT & FACILITATOR)
Clients describe Zoe as having a special knack for making workshop participants feel simultaneously relaxed and energised, a feat she achieves with methodical preparation, a carefully choreographed mix of content and activity, and an exceptional eye for detail.
Zoe has extensive experience in leading strategy, planning, growth and organisation projects in the financial services, retail, healthcare and government sectors.
- Strategy and planning: Facilitating a steering committee (including a diverse range of stakeholders and views) as they oversaw a critical organisation change. Developing a strategy and organisation design for a disruptive specialty retailer with a promising growth trajectory. Co-developing the strategy for a statutory authority with the organisation’s top 60 leaders, testing the robustness of their strategic pillars and exploring the cross-organisation collaboration needed to deliver them. Working closely with a highly motivated leadership team to consider key strategic questions relating to their aspiration, scope choices, key areas of competitive advantage, and the capabilities required to be successful.
- Vision and purpose: Working with several organisations to help board and executive teams rethink their vision and purpose statements to help guide strategic decision making.
- Values, behaviours and culture: Developing a number of inclusive processes including with an emergency services organisation, a major trade union, a publishing company and a mutual financial institution to articulate and update their values and address aspects of their culture. Facilitating a series of interactions with staff from across a Victorian government utility to articulate the values that are core to the organisation and the behaviours of leaders across the business.
- Growth: Working with a large client team to transform a financial services organisation’s approach to growth strategy, from executing priority growth options to supporting a subcommittee of senior directors to advance the merger agenda.
- Organisation effectiveness: Leading organisation redesign projects for wealth management and telecommunications industry clients. Working with marketing, business development and operations teams to improve the effectiveness of their structures, processes, resource allocation and performance management.
Zoe has been a consultant with Right Lane for 11 years and has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from Melbourne Business School; she also has 15 years' experience in operational, management and internal consulting roles across industries as diverse as publishing, technology, advertising and television.
CHIARA LAWRY (PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT & FACILITATOR)
Chiara is a principal and facilitator with Strategic Facilitators. Chiara has deep experience in the public and social sectors, bringing more than ten years working in and for government and the social sector as a strategy consultant and a policy adviser.
Prior to joining Strategic Facilitators, Chiara worked at the Boston Consulting Group where she was a core member of the public sector practice. Chiara was a Policy Adviser at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in Canberra where she worked under the Rudd and Gillard Governments on health reform and international policy.
Beyond the public sector Chiara also has consulting experience across a broad range of industries including financial services, industrial goods and the retail industry. She has experience in strategy, organisational transformation and business development and is passionate about supporting her clients to solve their toughest problems.
Her recent projects have included:
- Strategy and planning: Preparing for and facilitating the board strategy day for one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds. This work included supporting the CEO to set and shape the priorities and content for the board.
- Organisation design: Working for the executive team of a large social services not for profit (NFP) to redesign their operating model to increase program integration and improve client outcomes.
- Growth: Supporting the CEO and executive team of a national advocacy organisation to scale their influence in response to increased government funding.
- Stakeholder alignment: Designing and leading a co-design process to bring together government community leaders and end users to design a new initiative to support economic development in regional Victoria.
Chiara has a deep passion for social impact and has worked with a number of local and international NFP organisations. She was a founding volunteer and board member at the Oaktree Foundation, and has worked with indigenous organisations in the Cape York Peninsula and the Tiwi Islands. Chiara was awarded a scholarship to participate in the Victorian Government’s Women’s Leadership Program for 2019.
Chiara has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the Australian National University and a Masters of Public Administration from Columbia University.
DEBBIE WILLIAMS (SENIOR EXPERT & FACILITATOR)
Debbie is a senior expert and facilitator with 22 years’ experience across a range of industries including healthcare, community services and financial services.
Debbie is an expert in strategy, operational and financial analysis, performance improvement and organisation design. Her recent projects have included:
- Strategic planning: Assisting a large disability services provider’s board and executive team develop a strategy that responds to external challenges raised by changes in government policy. Developing the council plan and business plan for one of Victoria's largest metropolitan councils. Worked with the executive team and board over a 3-month period to articulate a healthcare organisation’s purpose and identify how they could best meet the healthcare needs of their community, develop a clear strategic direction and build a roadmap for implementing the new strategy.
- Growth strategy: Helping the board of a major institutional investor agree on a growth strategy and build a new management structure, working from strategy, through capabilities, to PDs and KPIs.
- Organisation design: Conducting organisation re-design and alignment processes with clients in the healthcare and professional services industries developing organisation design archetypes, leadership structures and accountability frameworks.
- Governance: Working with directors of a professional services company to diagnose governance challenges in the partnership structure and collaborate to establish the framework of an improved leadership structure. Assisting a large tertiary institution to review its governance and decision-making arrangements. This process was inclusive and included significant stakeholder engagement.
In addition to her consulting activities Debbie is an experienced non-executive director and fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Debbie was previously an engagement manager at Booz & Co. She has an MBA (with distinction) from one of the world’s leading programs at INSEAD, a Masters of Operations Research from Auckland University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Canterbury University.
MICHAEL LIVINGSTONE (PRINCIPAL & FACILITATOR)
Michael is a principal at Right Lane Consulting. He has 14 years expertise in the public and social sectors, with extensive experience working with senior leaders to deliver complex policy and institutional reforms.
Michael has worked across a range of fields including social services, criminal justice, transport, and economic development. His areas of expertise include governance, organizational strategy and reform, service design, research and evaluation, and stakeholder engagement.
His experience includes:
- Governance: Working with a Victorian government Minister and key stakeholders to deliver a major restructure and governance reforms at the regional public transport operator.
- Organisational strategy and reform: supporting the development and delivery of a 10 year reform plan for Victoria’s youth justice system.
- Service design: the design and piloting of family violence prevention initiatives focused on engaging boys and men.
- Research and evaluation: co-authoring research reports into youth justice issues and an Australian first survey of young men’s behaviours and attitudes.
- Stakeholder engagement: developing and delivering stakeholder engagement plans to complement organisational reforms in the transport sector.
Prior to joining Right Lane, Michael was Chief of Staff to a Victorian Government Minister and also a Senior Adviser to the Victorian Premier. He has also worked in policy, program management, and leadership roles in the community sector at Jesuit Social Services. He is passionate about solving challenging policy problems, building effective institutions, and making a measurable and sustainable difference to the community. Michael has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the Australian National University.
ASHLEE BOOTH (EXPERT & FACILITATOR)
Ashlee is a strategy facilitator, based in Sydney, with a broad cross-sector experience across government, financial services, retail, mining, industrials, power and utilities. Ashlee is passionate about driving strategic growth outcomes for her clients, and garnering energy and strategic alignment across organisations.
Her recent projects include:
- Strategy and planning: Led the strategic planning process across multiple business units at an eCommerce/retail company including development of 3-year strategy, OKRs, operating plan, technology roadmap, headcount plan and budget.
- Growth strategy: Led the development of a new revenue growth strategy for an Australian electricity transmission company through current state assessment, market analysis, strategy development and financial modelling.
- Organisation design: Managed the strategic restructure of a global mining services company through future-state organisation design, cost modelling and executive engagement.
- Stakeholder alignment: Facilitated multiple global workshops to gain executive alignment of vision, target operating model, organisation structure and KPIs for a global financial services company.
Ashlee has a Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University.
MEGAN MCLEAN (EXPERT & FACILITATOR)
Megan has 25 years of experience in facilitation, communication and stakeholder engagement spanning both corporate and not for profit settings, and is a practical and pragmatic facilitator with a focus on useful outputs that create value.
Megan’s recent experience includes:
- Facilitation of online workshops in the last 6 months including: a series of 35 compliance workshops across 500 staff, an online awards night of 850 people across Australia and New Zealand, 20 sales coaching workshops across Australia and Mumbai for 100 people and a series of 12 product launch workshops across Australia and India and regular online executive coaching sessions.
- Stakeholder engagement and community consultation: Working with a state government agency to conduct a state-wide stakeholder consultation program to develop a uniform campaign tackling Victoria’s recycling challenge. Facilitating a series of workshops for a state government department as part of a wider inter-agency approach with an aim to improve the educational outcomes for vulnerable children.
- Strategy and planning workshop facilitation: Facilitating a planning workshop for the divisional management team of a global catering company to agree areas of focus, goals and initiatives in a period of change. Facilitating a planning workshop for the management group of a large Melbourne-based professional services firm to develop an action plan to increase employee engagement. Working with the project team of a large Victorian infrastructure project to agree 12-month priorities and develop detailed operational plan for that period.
- Team effectiveness and alignment: Working with a national sales team of an industry-leading manufacturer to distil customer service principles into daily behaviours guiding all customer interactions. Working closely with a team from a large metropolitan council to connect the roles of team members to their purpose, including the development of goals, key initiatives and corresponding measures that will drive team’s success.
Megan has been described as a straight shooter who gets things done. Having owned businesses, worked for large corporate entities and consulted across a variety of sectors she brings a number of different perspectives. She also thinks there should be a few laughs along the way!
Holding a Bachelor of Arts in literature and professional writing, and a postgraduate certificate in journalism, she was also a founding member of the Family Advisory Council at the Royal Children’s Hospital – staying involved for a further four years. Megan is a keen baker, pursuer of zero waste and runner of half marathons.
JESS COSSENS (ENGAGEMENT MANAGER & FACILITATOR)
Jess is an engagement manager and facilitator, who works closely with client teams to conduct engaging and effective projects. She has exceptional attention to detail and a methodical approach to solving client’s challenges.
Jess has worked on many strategy consulting projects across a variety of sectors including not for profits, government, financial services, pharmaceuticals and education.
Jess’s recent engagements include:
- Stakeholder engagement: Planning and co-facilitating inclusive stakeholder engagement processes, ensuring all perspectives are expressed and heard. Using forums to foster innovation in client organisations. Facilitating a workshop for a large number of stakeholders to introduce a statewide project and provide stakeholders with an opportunity to scope and influence future policy.
- Strategy and planning: Working with large groups to cascade strategic decisions through to all staff. Providing forums for staff to present their perspectives and have a role in shaping the strategic direction of an organisation. Engaging with clients to diagnose the internal and external factors impacting upon their organisations and using this knowledge to inform the development of their strategic plans.
- Co-design and design thinking: Facilitating a co-design process for a new insurance product by engaging potential new customers through the design journey; co-creating ideation and innovation processes using design thinking methodology in the healthcare, insurance and government sectors.
Jess represents that rare mix of analytical thinking and creative expression. With degrees in Mechanical Engineering (first class honours) and Arts (Drama and Theatre Studies) from Monash University, she appreciates bold visionary thinking supported by solid evidence.
LAUREN SPITERI (ENGAGEMENT MANAGER)
Lauren is usually the first person you will speak to when you contact Strategic Facilitators and she takes customer service very seriously!
With over 10 years experience in our consulting and facilitation practice, Lauren works with new and existing clients alike – listening to your requirements, asking good questions, thinking through projects from start to finish, and ensuring we tailor an outcomes-orientated approach that addresses your highest priorities and delivers real results.
In tandem with her conversations with you, she works closely with our team of strategy consultants and facilitators to ensure you have the best, most experienced team working with you delivering to the highest professional standards.
Lauren holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Business from LaTrobe and Victoria universities respectively.
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