Advisory and consulting
I work with executive teams on the problems that cut across strategy, operations and technology. Most of my clients are universities, along with not-for-profits, health and research organisations, government and a few corporates.
I currently spend most of my time delivering this type of work.
What I work on
- Strategy and planning. Setting direction, turning it into a plan people can act on, and keeping the plan alive once the offsite is over.
- Process improvement. Mapping how work actually flows, finding where it gets stuck, and redesigning it with the people who do it.
- Operating models. Working out what the organisation needs to do to deliver its strategy, then the structure, roles and governance to run it.
- Digital transformation and AI. Steadying technology programs that have stalled, and embedding AI into everyday work in a way that is safe and actually used.
- Facilitation. Executive planning days, board sessions and workshops with competing stakeholders, designed around the decisions that need to be made.
Depending on the scale and pace of the project, I can pull on an expert team of specialists to help deliver.
Selected work
A small selection of my recent project work.
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Higher Education, 2026
STEM college transformation at a metropolitan university
Strategic review and operating-model redesign across three workstreams: a specialist academy expansion, a learning and teaching quality portfolio review, and the wider college transformation programme.
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Higher Education
Digital transformation at one of Australia's largest universities
[Nick to write the description.]
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Higher Education, 2026
Operational excellence programme at a regional Australian university
Embedded role across an operational excellence programme spanning academic consideration, reasonable adjustments, recruitment, onboarding, and complaints redesign.
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Health and Clinical Research, 2026
Strategic review of a memory clinic and clinical trial division
Strategy, operating-model design, governance redesign, and pathway to financial sustainability for a dementia research and memory clinic group.
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Higher Education, 2026
Timetabling implementation support for a New Zealand university
Wraparound advisory and change management support across the implementation of a timetabling data collection tool, delivered with a sector software partner.
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Government and Transport
Negotiations between a government department and a rail provider
Independent facilitation of negotiations between a government department and a rail provider, helping both parties work through their positions and reach an agreed way forward.
Organisations I've worked with lately
I've helped organisations across the board, from ASX 100 companies to small sole operators.
What clients say
“Nick brings sharp strategic thinking, a sector-wide lens and genuine care for the people involved. He has helped us work through complex, sensitive issues and turn our priorities into a plan that keeps the whole leadership team focused.”
“Nick is one of those rare consultants who operates as a true member of the team. He consistently combines strategic thinking, sound judgement and disciplined delivery, bringing structure and momentum to complex pieces of work while remaining focused on strategic objectives. He has an exceptional ability to balance the bigger picture with careful attention to detail, and deep appreciation of organisational context and culture. Importantly, Nick keeps people at the centre of his work, building trust through authentic engagement and thoughtful values driven change management.”
“Nick has been an exceptional strategic advisor during a period of significant change for our organisation. His ability to cut through complexity, bring clarity to big decisions, and work across both Board and executive levels has been invaluable. He combines deep strategic insight with a calm, pragmatic approach that builds trust and gets results. His support on our Memory Clinic operating model and broader organisational restructure helped us move faster and with greater confidence.”
“I have had the pleasure of working with Nick for a number of years across multiple institutions. Nick played a critical role in helping us navigate several high-impact strategy and system transformation initiatives. His ability to engage at both senior leadership and delivery levels made him a trusted advisor across the organisation. Nick brings not just structure and rigour, but the leadership presence needed to influence change in complex environments.”
“Nick is an excellent listener and collaborative partner. He brought a wealth of experience and offered practical, well-considered advice throughout our project. His guidance was instrumental in helping us improve the management and oversight framework for our multi-year, complex technology transformation program, ensuring we navigated challenges effectively and stayed on track.”
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Get in touch
Email is best. Send me a paragraph about what you're working on and I'll get back to you.
Tell me what's stuck, and the first conversation is free.