An incredible opportunity to join this founder led and invested group, breaking all conventions with drive and entrepreneurial spirit. Since opening their 1st building in student accommodation (PBSA) in 2017, they now have 34 operational buildings with approximately 16,000 beds in gateway cities, with 9 more opening in the next 18months and a significant pipeline in development bringing a new ‘form of living’ to the Australian landscape. The company has approximately $7.3b in assets under management and is backed by 5 of the worlds’ premier real estate investors.Scape are buyers, developers, and operators with a vision to transform the way people live ‘for good’. The velocity, the people, the vision is contagious and I signed a full-time contract July 1st as CEO ,an incredible role working with the most inspirational people.Creativity is the new currency and the journey has just begun!In this short time;• we’ve built new values around ‘Boots all In’ and ‘GSD* Wednesdays’ (no meetings Wednesdays so we can ‘Get Sh*t Done’)• we’ve kept true to putting the ‘good’ in living working with the Queensland Government Department of Housing to assist in accommodating those most at risk and vulnerable during the pandemic• we’ve built a $26m scholarship program supporting students enrolled in frontline courses • we’ve lead PBSA) in successful management of student isolation and engagement during the pandemic receiving acknowledgement from accredited International SOS..• additionally we’ve rolled out the Sonder app across our entire portfolio supporting the welfare and wellbeing of our students 24/7- we housed over 3.5k Afghani and Ukraine evacuees in our Melbourne assets during Covid Lockdown We have aligned to an ambitious vision ‘To be the Earths Best Living Company’ and that means taking action, making impact both in sustainability and leading innovatively in the sector.

The Discovery Holiday Parks newly formed board, with the addition of two NED's (myself and iconic Tourism Guru - Grant Hunt) have joined a fast paced, high skill and dynamic environment. A board's performance is about diversity in skills, specialisation/capability and collaboration, and this board has it. The company itself is impressive, run by a talented and committed CEO, Grant Wilckens, supported by a great executive team. Their acquisition savvy, park management processes and IP in the category is market leading. Next step - The Brand. (Discovery Holiday Parks is majority owned by superannuation fund Sunsuper, which has more than one million members and approximately $35.4 billion in funds under management). Discovery Parks are the largest Holiday Park operators in Australia.

With any board appointment I have three strict criteria; 1. People First (starting with the Chair, Board and Executive Leadership), 2. The Category (do I understand it, am I passionate), 3. Can I add value. Whilst I didn’t expect to be in the realm of the marketing services profession, it was a very easy ‘yes’ once I went through the process. Enero is in a unique position to stay ahead of the curve, a global geographic footprint that adds scale and still small enough to be nimble and adaptive where the big groups come undone. The experienced CEO Matthew Melhuish is deeply committed and the board is Chaired by the skilled John Porter who has a unique global perspective from his base in Belgium, close to some of the key European Enero companies. It's a journey I’m delighted to be on and to contribute to.http://www.enero.com/shareholder-centre/shareholder-information

Looking for a broader challenge in a complex and highly competitive industry, where I could leverage my leadership and strategic marketing experience, I found myself in the rigorous cycle of board consideration for Macquarie Telecom. Over a six month period and a series of tete-a-tetes with key representatives from both the board and the Macquarie Telecom executive team, I was fortunate to be offered a non-executive position. Macquarie Telecom is a business on the front foot, providing a dynamic and holistic board experience environment working with the other non-executive and executive board members to challenge the course whilst committed to shareholder value. A helicopter role and exposure into one of the most competitive and fluid markets, that of telco and hosting. A world of digital technology, future focus, customer centricity (leaders of NPS) and a revered commitment to cyber security.

One of the most delicious and exciting food categories to be working with! Everest offers it all - agile manufacturing and delicious product, they are a leading manufacturer/distributor of ice cream, gelato, sorbets and frozen deserts. Everest was established in 1958 so 60years young this year!Having visited the factory (coats, hairnets mandatory), tasted the product and met the passionate and committed team, with the board chaired by Johan Krynauw, one of Allegro’s brightest (http://www.allegrofunds.com.au/passionate-people/) there was nothing not to love about the potential of this company (including the Dixie cups and salted caramel). Strategy and Brand has now been set and we’re off!Allegro Funds is the majority owner of Everest Ice Cream.

SHOES...SHOES...N’SHOES. Ngahuia is the holding company for two of New Zealand’s leading Footwear Businesses; Number One Shoes and Hannahs. From the early stages of due diligence with Allegro Funds (the majority owners) to my role as Non-Exec there was nothing not to love about this business. It is in the trusted hands of co-CEO’s John Elliot and Roger Harper. The board is chaired by Fay Bou, one of Allegro’s star players and has the heavy weight expertise of Ron Halls as the other Non Executive. My ‘kick’ collection is on the rise and its a great priveledge to bring my strategic marketing and branding expertise to the group.

Who would have thought! I’ve ended up in the world of private equity, working with some of the greatest people and most brilliant minds (I feel at least 10% smarter when I say I work with PE). Allegro and I came across each other in 2014 through a board recruitment process - they were managing the asset on behalf of Sunsuper and I got appointed. They thought I looked different, sounded different and definitely thought ‘very’ different. They Zigged (pivot tables, financial modelling and analytics) and I zagged (creative thinking, brand strategy, marketing and digital). Just to test things out, they got me on board when they were purchasing Great Southern Rail - operating The Ghan and Indian Pacific trains. This ended up being a hugely successful transformational journey (literally), and was recognised in the industry both locally AVCAL and throughout ASIA (Asian Private Equity and Venture Capital Awards). https://www.avcjforum.com/awardsAllegro reviewed its own strategy and has brought on a host of Operating Partners with diverse and specialised skills and I’m delighted to say I’m one of them, although a little different...Allegro Board Roles:NED - Ngahuia Footwear Group (NZ)NED - Food Serviced Group

Idecorate ticked all the start up boxes. People first... do I believe in them, do they have the right capability, passion and resilience, will it be a privilege to work with them, TICK. Business Model next... does it have an unfair competitive advantage and can it scale, TICK. Will it be FUN...ABSOLUTELY! Importantly Idecorate also appeals to my sense of creativity and deep interest in the global retail e-comm environment, in this stage in life - its important to LOVE what you do and only then can you make an authentic difference. Stay Tuned...YOUTUBE: Click here to see the storeLIKE: https://www.facebook.com/iDecorateshopFOLLOW: https://instagram.com/idecorateshop/

Entrepreneurially inspired, working with a network of incredible specialists in data, technology, mobility,creativity and VC. Immersing myself in the world of retail and innovation, through equity partnerships, from start-ups to mid sized consumer facing brands.

All ABOARD!Where iconic Trains, meet Private Equity, both with transformation in mind. The opportunity, just like our incredible Australian outback is vast. Great Southern Rail are operators of transcontinental passenger rail services; The Ghan, The Indian Pacific and The Overland and are now majority owned and managed by private equity firm, Allegro Funds Pty Ltd. The opportunity is in luxury travel expeditions across our diverse Australian landscape, connecting people, places and unique experiences. The team is in safe hands under the excellent stewardship of CEO, Chris Tallent and the board has the combination of financial acumen, contextual thinking (an addiction to building great brands) and a deep customer focus, well steered by Chairman Adrian Loader. This is a brilliant transformational story with a successful sale to another private equity team. It was a journey I was delighted to be on. http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/dataroom/quadrant-to-buy-great-southern-stake-from-allegro/news-story/21ee7906d66e0818a3316efe1f8160b7

Onboarding a new CEO, working on a connected eco-system for Moon, and working closely with STW executives.www.womensagenda.com.au/talking-about/top-stories/10-womentowatch-in-advertising/201504075559#.VSRu9qwazCQ

As CEO/MD, I constantly challenged myself to 'lead from the front'. Moon is an agency of huge ambition, combined with a beautiful craft and aesthetic. It was a privilege as CEO over 6 yrs to harness that capability, set the vision and empower the dynamic team to do what they did best. From Taiwan, to New York and Milan, Moon left its mark. The role was one of learning, adapting, re-setting and driving. Accountable for setting the vision, the ultimate performance of the company (full financial responsibility), the people (the vital ingredient) and the work (that made us distinctively Moon).

People, people, people. The higher up the food chain, the more important people skills become. Situational leadership, empowering and setting a clear vision. Working with brilliantly talented people is a priviledge, I learn from the team and my peers every day. Then STW Group bought Moon out, I got promoted to CEO and the new chapter began.

I'd started my own consultancy after leaving Conde Nast following a personal tragedy. I was working on the new positioning of Westfield Bondi Junction and stumbled across Moon in AdNews, as they had their billings listed in Turkish Lira - which appealed to my sense of humour. We joined forces and the rest became history (a long one). It was a fast and furious entree into the world of strategic planning on the agency side. I led the creation of Jetstar in this role. A tight team from Moon, including one of my most favourite creatives, Carby Tuckwell (now a director at Deus Ex Machina) and only the power house Melissa Madden on client side - the then marketing director for Qantas. We worked on the naming, positioning, logo and livery within a tight time frame and a shared passion for Veuve Cliquot orange. It remains Australia's most successful low cost carrier airline to date, and still reminds me why I'm passionate about building brands.

If the "Devil Wears Prada" had been released a decade earlier, I could have been holding up a mirror to my world. A crazy and wonderful insight into the dynamic and competitive landscape of publishing. Mastheads, to syndicate or not, distribution and sales drove the day to day amongst the executive team. Whilst the roundups with the editors came with unspoken rules - and 'god forbid' if you were in last years Prada Pumps. More front row shows, air kissing and extraordinary client gifts than I've had hot dinners. Then there were the global forums, blacktie dinners in Venetian palaces and the inception of Vogue.com.au whilst staying at the Cipriani in Venice, it was a life worth living!

An exceptional opportunity with an exceptional company and team. It was predominantly a brown leather handbag business in a mature market, and we got to re-position the brand. From creating new price points, introducing metallic leathers and the signature 'O' hardware as well as convincing David Jones to take indent orders to get the new look range instore, The share price tripled over 18months and it was the most exciting job in my early career. I loved it, I had the freedom to put some of my early MBA studies to test, the opportunity to work with a great leadership team and a wonderful exposure to the Lane family who were majority shareholders and working in the business. Tom Lane was the product manager and Ross Lane the MD and Mr Lane senior dropped by most days. An authentic and grounding experience.

Goodbye Melbourne, HALLO SYDNEY! Media were my new best friends. Halcyon days of amazing events, orchestrated by Deeta Colivn and Nikki Andrews with Jamie Gordon's creative flair. The famous Melbourne Cup and Derby Day marquees where sister brands Moet and Veuve flowed freely. In charge of the A&P spend accompanied in-depth training on the shop floor, I was steeped in the product stories and zealous about basket size, NS/T and VM. Luxury retail seemed to run through my blood line and every training trip to Paris confirmed what I knew - I wanted to learn more. I started my MBA part-time and spent my days enthralled with the magnetism of LVMH - a company with a voracious global appetite.