Anna Stephenson Email & Phone Number

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Anna and her consultancy designed and delivered Advancing Manufacturing EQ - Future Skills for Production Teams Program for Qld Government and Queensland Manufacturing Institute– a series of challenge-based, ‘soft skills’ experiential learning programs that equipped team leaders in Qld manufacturers with increased capacity for complex problem solving, agile thinking, frontline people management, emotional and social intelligence to support them to function effectively in Industry 4.0.

Toowoomba , Queensland

Conscious Enterprise helps organisations, industries and communities to build their capacity to take action to grow, innovate or pivot.Conscious Enterprise offers over 20 years' practical regional 'know-how' and experience backed by with cutting edge research, methodologies and technologies including systems and design thinking.

Brisbane, Australia

MadeinBrisVegas is an early stage startup developing a new interactive 'creative' retail platform targeting over 2.7 million leisure travellers visiting Brisbane each year. The new platform will use product matching software and virtual reality to deliver visitor experiences that will change the way people see Brisbane and its creative personality. MadeinBrisVegas was shortlisted for the Brisbane City Council Innovation Award in 2017.

Wodonga, Victoria, Australia

Anna leads and manages the development and delivery of collaborative rural and regional projects, partnerships to foster end-to -end pathways for rural medical trainees to help overcome the chronic doctor shortages in regional and rural Victoria and to prepare the sector for large-scale transition to GP college-led training in 2023 . She is responsible for leading collaborations with and between Government, GP colleges, Health Services, University Medical Training Hubs, regional workforce training and development initiatives such as the Victorian Rural Generalist Program and the communities across MCCC's Western Victoria training footprint which spans regional and rural Victoria, including the large regional cities of Albury/Wodonga, Greater Geelong, Warrnambool, Mildura, Ballarat, Greater Bendigo and Greater Shepparton and scores of small rural country and coastal towns and villages.

Wangaratta

Anna was honoured to serve as the first Regional Community Engagement Facilitator for NE Victoria , leading the design and management of a new approach to recovery , working directly with bushfire affected communities in Victoria's high country in this new and formative role, integral to the delivery of the Victorian Government's 'community led' approach to disaster recovery.She focused on supporting practical community-led recovery and was responsible for leading Bushfire Recovery Victoria’s (BRV’s) engagement with local community recovery committees and other key community groups and organisations in north-east Victoria.She is proud to have helped build strong collaborations and partnerships with affected communities, Councils and agencies to aid recovery, where Anna provided expert guidance and support to the region's 12 Community Recovery Committees, playing a key role in new approaches to community recovery planning, governance and community led collaboration .Anna also led the development of a supplier panel to assist communities to apply for grants , develop their recovery plans and implement their community projects .This resulted in communities in Victoria’s high country receiving over $7.5 million worth of Local Economic Recovery funding in the first round . Amongst funded projects was the Upper Murray Community Microgrid Project.

Queensland, Australia

Conscious Enterprise led the development of an early stage start up dedicated to developing a VR/neurofeedback platform to make it easier for everyone to experience mental and emotional well-being.

Toowoomba, Australia

This role significantly grew awareness, profile and investment in USQ's applied research. In this role , Anna focused on developing and implementing innovative research engagement strategies that highlighted the global impact of USQ research. This was a fundamental component of the USQ Research and Innovation Strategy and essential to increasing the University’s global ranking and reputation. This new role sought to demonstrate through effective communication, engagement and marketing , USQ's global research capacity. The role helped to drive adoption and diffusion of USQ’s applied research amongst key audiences in business, industry, government and the not for profit sector. The role integrated strategic and innovative marketing , communications and engagement . Key amongst Anna’s achievement in this role was the establishment of 400M, an Agrifood Innovation Forum and venture capital raising event , a joint collaboration between USQ, Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise and the Qld Government. Now running for over 5 years, this event is now one of the prime agritech events in the Australian venture capital raising community .A key part of Anna’s role was also to work across the Division of Research and Innovation and it’s 12 Research Institutes and Centres to strengthen a research culture of excellence using internal communications and engagement to build our research capability in agriculture, agribusiness, regional resilience and digital technologies and literacies.

Toowoomba, Australia

This interim position supported the roll out of the new plan for focused research at USQ. The focus for this role was building effective regional partnerships including an part time embedded role as Project Manager - Education and Sustainability supporting the establishment of the highly successful Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise. In this role Anna developed the framework for an innovative regional leadership program with Social Leadership Australia.

Toowoomba, Australia

The focus for this role was building the University's capability to engage and communicate effectively with government and community to build rich and mutually beneficial relationships to grow the University's impact within it geographic footprint and beyond .

• Designing the future – visioning & strategic planning• Working with power - Leadership development & mentoring• Purpose & innovation -building sustainable partnerships & organisations• Inspiring change - customised workshops & presentations for regional business, women, young people & communities• Growing our human capital –building capacity, skills & local identity• Making it happen– community workshop presenter & awards host

Echuca Moama

This role was the culmination of a ten month Assignment to establish strategy and operations for the Committee for Echuca Moama and recruit CEO, consolidate member base and establish strategic relationships.

Employed engagement, strategic planning, capacity building skills to grow the economic base of the city. The role lead the City' s tourism and events strategies, marketing and operations and managed a team of 16.Developed an innovative process, framework and strategy entitled 'Partnership for Economic Success' to chart the City's economic development that challenged representatives from 30 organisations at a strategic level and over 200 innovative and critical thinkers from many sectors of the community to design their future using an dynamic economic framework that reflects Launceston's role as a regional hub and a service economy.Collaborated with key enterpreneurs including Autech's Darren Alexander, Launceston Chamber of Commerce and University of Tasmania to deliver ;* Love Launceston -Tertiary Student Attraction Strategy* Five Days of Innovation FestivalCreated Launceston's first Visitor Servicing Strategy which involved establishment of Visitor Services at Launceston Airport, working in partnership with Launceston and Melbourne Airports.Led cultural and organisation change in Visitor Servicing including introduction of a regional on-line reservation system for Launceston, Tamar and Northern TasmaniaCommissioned the development of an innovative Travel and Information Centre People & Processes Manual that in the long term, can be harnessed to optimise the State's Visitor Information Network as a key sales force.Lead the Launceston's Tourism, Visitor Servicing, Major Events and Conferences areas with a staff of 15.

Led the development and implementation of strategy related to donor and partner strategies to support the realisation of Victoria University's development program.

Business development and marketing consultancy for SMEs. Notable client achievements;* 3 year business plan resulted in 130% sales growth over 2 years* Brokered 3 major long term contracts * Productivity increases of 50% from system and process implementation* Created successful new identities and brands for 3 companies* 80-120% increase in public awareness through communications plans* Established eastern seaboard marketing & distribution capability for WA interior design firm* Partnership and sponsor deals for a number of arts and music festivals and organisations

Major achievements;City Development* Developed a 'whole of council' approach that streamlined industrial, commercial and residential development valued at approx. $330 million.Trade* Facilitated a new sister city relationship with Harbin, China* Created Griffith Exporter Network with Austrade & NSW Dept. of State & Regional DevelopmentSkills Attraction* Griffith Skills Network - Skills Development and Attraction Strategy* Leaders in Careers - Skills Development & Attraction Strategy* Career on a Plate - 2 year program to inspire science students to live & work in region* Inland C-Change Project - www.cchange.org.au - long term skills attraction marketing program* Western Riverina Higher Education Needs Analysis Infrastructure* Inland Port Feasibility Study* Funding Bowning Deviation - submission involving cost/benefit analyses of 80 companies and 11 local governmentsEvents* La Festa - created a successful 1 day Easter festival celebrating food, wine and multicultural community , now in its 10th yearSocial Capacity Building* Created Lead On - youth entrepreneurship programCommercialisation of Research - FILTERCity Promotion

Commissioned by 16 NSW local governments to develop and lead organisational development, promotion and celebration of 2002 Year of the Outback.Engaged with the National Year of the Outback organisation, other state bodies and over 40 key regional organisations to develop a collaborative framework and strategy for the NSW Year of the Outback.These included 4 regional tourism organisations, 16 local governments, 4 regional development boards, 4 regional arts organisations, regional lands councils, Department of State & Regional Development, Tourism NSW and NSW Parks and Wildlife and peak industry bodies and cooperatives.

Responsible for re-positioning the role and value of tourism in local and regional economy including :* Development of the community's first tourism strategy* Funding and creation of Hay Tourism Development Corporation * One of 3 key working partners in the feasibility, scoping, development and construction of Shear Outback - Australian Shearers' Hall of Fame * Theming, branding & marketing of 'The Long Paddock' - The World's Largest Living Museum* Hosting Australian National Hang Gliding Championships for 3 years and bid which secured 2005 World Hang Gliding Championships

15,000 acre merino sheep and cropping enterprise in NSW Riverina

Williamson Leadership Program, Adaptive Leadership, 2023 Fellow

Higher National Diploma, Project Management

B. Bus (Int.), Marketing, Trade, Economics, European Business

Achieved highest semester marks for 7 B.Bus. degree units