Mel Henry is an organisational development practitioner with over 15 years’ experience leading organisational strategy and cultural change. Mel has particular expertise in higher education and public sector operations, including the establishment, management and evaluation of strategic people and culture projects and services. She has also worked in government, not-for-profit and private sectors in a range of people focused roles, and holds a PhD in Psychology.
Mel holds specialist knowledge of organisational culture, change management and diversity and inclusion. She has established and led large teams of staff with diverse backgrounds and specialties to achieve ambitious strategic objectives and organisational transformation, including in areas of strategic planning, compliance, diversity and inclusion, talent management, conflict management, psychological support and capability development. With a background in Psychology, accreditation in psychological assessment tools and many years of experience working with a variety of stakeholders, Mel also holds exceptional facilitation, coaching and interviewing skills. She has successfully applied these skills in a range of contexts, including recruitment, team and staff development and performance management processes.

She has facilitated workshops, group programs, interpersonal mediation and individual consultations with front-line through to executive level staff. Through her focus on co-design, establishing a collaborative problem-solving culture, and coaching individual staff to develop their interpersonal communication skills and challenge established ways of working, she works in partnership with clients to maximise the success of organisational change initiatives.

Formally trained in empirical research methodologies, Mel is committed to enhancing outcomes through the analysis and application of meaningful data that is understood and interpreted in consultation with key stakeholders. She has led large program evaluations involving extensive stakeholder engagement, including through focus groups, co-design sessions, interviews and quality survey design, alongside empirical analysis of stakeholder input and organisational data. She has an enquiring mind, advanced project management skills and embraces opportunities to investigate issues, evaluate programs and develop innovative solutions in partnership with clients, which facilitate continuous improvement and enhance program effectiveness.

Mel is valued by clients for her attention to detail, capacity to consolidate and translate difficult concepts, and her understanding and genuine care towards others. With a unique and varied skillset, Mel’s expertise is highly transferable to many contexts.

QUALIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Doctorate of Philosophy (Psychology), Edith Cowan University
• Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology, Deakin University
• Bachelor of Science (major in Psychology), University of Melbourne
• Accreditation in Hogan 360 and Leadership assessment tools, Peter Berry Consulting

KEY AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Navigating complex staff performance, behaviour, interpersonal conflict and cultural challenges
• Designing, planning and leading large strategic projects and organisational change initiatives
• Design and facilitation of planning days, co-design workshops, seminars and online professional development programs
• Higher education services, systems and processes
• Psychological assessment, behavioural interviewing and leadership coaching, including for recruitment, development and performance management purposes
• Evaluating organisational strategies, projects and services
• Advanced stakeholder engagement, including through strategic relationship management, quality survey design, focus groups and interviews
• Designing and establishing new teams and services
• Preparing concise reports and presentations on complex organisational outcomes for a variety of audiences, including government