EXAMPLES

The Problem: Thirty years of brilliant medical research had created something of a beautiful mess. Technology had grown organically alongside groundbreaking discoveries, but now sensitive research data lived alongside ad-hoc systems that nobody quite remembered implementing. With limited budgets and life-changing work at stake, every decision mattered.

What I Did: I led the implementation of a stage-gate project management methodology, created a project prioritisation process, and established the organisation's first formal request for tender process. I consulted across both corporate services and research divisions to ensure everything was fit for purpose, then proved it worked by delivering projects using the new system.

The Result: Transformed an ad-hoc technology environment into a managed, predictable system. All future technology deployments followed proper governance, eliminating surprise costs and ensuring security compliance for sensitive medical research data.
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Why It Worked: You can't protect what you don't manage. We established structure that enabled scale.

The Problem: In advertising production, margins live and die on efficiency. Hogarth knew they were leaving money on the table—roughly 10% of their production costs came from manual processes that technology could handle better. The challenge wasn't identifying opportunities (everyone could see them), but creating a systematic approach to capture them across print, digital, film, and audio-visual production.

What I Did: I started by assembling the people who actually understood the work: production heads from each discipline. Rather than impose automation from above, we created a framework where each area could identify their own opportunities, build business cases, and implement solutions. My job was to provide the governance and remove roadblocks, not dictate solutions.

The Result: Programme framework established with documented automation projects and clear implementation pathway. However, client execution challenges prevented full realisation of the 10% cost reduction target. Framework remains viable for organisations with stronger change management capabilities.

Why It Worked: You can't automate what you don't understand. We documented processes first, then optimised systematically.

The Problem: The digital team at this full-service agency had a simple problem with complex consequences: they couldn't predict when work would be done or how much it would cost. Six talented people were missing profit targets because estimation was guesswork and delivery was hope. Clients waited weeks for simple updates, and every project felt like a custom emergency.

What I Did: Created a bespoke 6-step design, development, and delivery process that was adopted organisation-wide. I used existing financial data to challenge and improve the estimating process, giving the team better visibility into operations and more accurate financial reporting. This eliminated the guesswork that had been killing profitability.

The Result: Digital team began meeting P&L targets with predictable delivery timelines. Success proved so effective that the methodology expanded to other teams across the agency. Won major clients including DHL (£10m contract), retained existing clients, and improved overall agency delivery capability.

Why It Worked: Predictable delivery requires predictable processes. We eliminated the guesswork.

The Problem: University web departments exist in a unique pressure cooker—academic stakeholders expect consultation, administration demands speed, students expect commercial-grade digital experiences, and budgets never quite match ambitions. Victoria University's 27-person team was stuck in processes that made timely delivery nearly impossible while costs climbed and expectations dropped across campus.

What I Did: Sometimes renovation isn't enough; you need to rebuild from the foundation up. I mapped what wasn't working, designed processes that could actually deliver results, restructured team responsibilities around outcomes rather than activities, and brought in management that understood the difference between being busy and being effective.

The Result: 10% reduction in departmental overhead while clearing the backlog of stalled projects. Department transformed from cost centre to value driver.

Why It Worked: You can't polish broken processes. Sometimes we need to rebuild the foundation completely

The Problem: GSK had assembled a disruptive innovation team with a mandate to rapidly develop and test ideas. The ambition was clear, but ambition without structure is just expensive enthusiasm. They needed two things: an operational methodology for their internal teams and a functioning incubator for medical startups. Neither existed in any meaningful way.

What I Did: Working with R/GA Ventures, we created a comprehensive incubator curriculum based on their proven venture studio methodology—combining strategic analysis, diligence, and engagement with partnership and investment frameworks. I designed the operational methodology using the DACI framework (Driver-Approver-Contributors-Informed) to ensure clear decision-making and accountability. The selection process focused on ROI potential and product viability, leveraging R/GA's approach of matching startups with strategic corporate partners.

The Result: Successfully delivered two cohorts of startups through the incubator program. Established operational framework and selection process that could scale beyond the initial engagement. Startups benefited from both the structured curriculum and access to GSK's extensive healthcare network.

Why It Worked: Innovation needs structure. We built clear processes that deliver results consistently.

The Problem: Government machinery can be elegantly complex. this public medical oversight body needed their website managed by the wider department's central services —a sensible move that required creating an entirely new service from scratch. The challenge wasn't just technical; it was about building something that would survive government changes, budget cycles, and the endless appetite for "urgent" requests.

What I Did: I approached this like building a bridge that needs to last decades. First, recruit the right people. Then document everything—not just the service standards, but why those standards matter. Finally, create governance that protects the service from well-meaning interference while ensuring it actually serves its stakeholders.

The Result: Reduced team size from 5 to 1 while improving website user experience and reducing organisational risk through proper process implementation. Sustainable service established with clear governance and compliance framework.

Why It Worked: Sustainable services need clear documentation and proper resourcing. We built both from day one.

The Problem: Picture this: Australia's most published smoking cessation researcher watches a million-dollar government project ignore everything they know about helping people quit smoking. Meanwhile, that same project has burned through half its budget to attract exactly two users. The funding clock is ticking, and failure means disappointing both government stakeholders and the thousands of smokers who need help.

What I Did: Sometimes you have to stop building to start fixing. I interviewed everyone involved, reviewed what had been built, and discovered what should have been obvious from day one: they'd created something nobody wanted. The reset was comprehensive—halt development, listen to the expert they'd been ignoring, and rebuild around actual user needs.

The Result: Transformed 2 users into millions. The site became one of Australia's most visited health websites with massive traffic increases. Won Leadership & Innovation Award. Government requirements met, user needs addressed, funding justified.

Why It Worked: Requirements don't matter if nobody uses what you build. We aligned stakeholder needs with actual user requirements.cription text goes here

The Problem: When Europe's largest IT infrastructure provider decides to rebrand digitally across four countries, "complex" doesn't begin to cover it. Different markets, different stakeholder priorities, different technical requirements—all needing to launch simultaneously while maintaining the company's reputation for reliability. One misstep and you're explaining failures to very expensive clients.

What I Did: I treated this like conducting an orchestra where every musician was in a different country. The key was creating a coordination framework that allowed for local requirements while maintaining overall consistency. Clear planning, obsessive stakeholder communication, and a healthy respect for what could go wrong.

The Result: Successful rebrand launch across all territories on time and budget. Became company's largest and most profitable project. Client retained and requested additional work immediately.

Why It Worked: Complex doesn't mean complicated. We created clear planning and maintained relentless stakeholder alignment.

The Problem: Australia's largest online compliance training company had a problem that kept executives awake at night: 300+ custom course developments sitting in limbo with no delivery dates. Teams worked hard, clients grew frustrated, and nobody could answer the simple question of "when will it be done?" The company was drowning in its own success.

What I Did: I started by mapping the beautiful chaos. Each team had their own approach, their own tools, their own definition of "done." Rather than imposing an external solution, I worked with every team to understand what actually worked, then created a standardised methodology that preserved the best of each approach while eliminating the bottlenecks.

The Result: Brought all 300+ outstanding projects under formal management with committed delivery dates. Client confidence restored, project completion rates soared. Multiple successful deliveries for AFL teams and Adidas. Won "Best Budget Course" award.

Why It Worked: Custom doesn't mean chaotic. We built methodology that scales to any project complexity. text goes here

The Problem: Here's a delicate question that every public utility faces: how do you prove your back-office functions add value to customers and community? This water utility knew their operations mattered, but couldn't articulate how each department contributed to their stated mission. In the public sector, that's not just an academic exercise—it's survival.

What I Did: I treated this like archaeological work, carefully excavating the organisation's existing value commitments from strategy documents and charters. Then I designed a framework that would let every function—from IT to HR to finance—demonstrate their contribution without forcing artificial connections or bureaucratic theater.

The Result: Executive adopted the proposal in full. Framework provided clear methodology for organisational value alignment and accountability measurement across all functional units.

Why It Worked: You can't improve what you can't measure. We created clear value alignment that drives better decisions.