Lara H. Email & Phone Number

Collingwood, Victoria, Australia

Senior Project Manager on a range of grant-funded and internal projects at Smiling Mind. Projects have included:- Healthy Habits project (nib Foundation): developing digital resources to promote mentally healthy habits for adults. - Smiling Mind in Big Rivers project (The Smith Family): delivering mindfulness and trauma-informed practice training to educators in Katherine NT and the surrounding remote schools. - Principal Wellbeing Program (WorkSafe Victoria): delivering a whole school program, working with school leadership to improve school culture and climate and enhance workplace protective factors associated with principal and staff wellbeing and mental health.- Accessibility project (State Trustees): improving the accessibility of the Smiling Mind app by adding female voice, a trauma-informed lens, and app accessibility improvements. - State of Mind project: delivery of an annual survey, report & webinar that acts as a check-in on the mental health and wellbeing of Australian adults.- Kids Care Packs (Vic DHHS): delivery of a set of digital resources for parents and children in Victoria to support mental health.- Various other projects

Melbourne, Australia

Portfolio Lead for the Business & Private Bank Delivery Portfolio (~$50-100m annually). Responsible for portfolio governance and enablement functions, including leading PMO staff, operating rhythm, tools and processes, resource and financial management across portfolio, analysis and reporting, provision of support/training for project delivery staff.

Melbourne, Australia

Senior Project Analyst within the central PMO Portfolio Office for Business & Private Bank Portfolio. Responsible portfolio analysis and reporting, development of PMO tools and reporting capability, implementing PMO processes, provision of support/training for project delivery staff.Key Responsibilities:- Portfolio reporting – collation, preparation, analysis, and review to produce portfolio reporting to governance board (PDF/CDC), and attendance at portfolio board meetings- Resource reporting and analysis across portfolio – development of reporting capabilities, analysis of resourcing across portfolio to identify areas for action- Project tools – implement standards across the portfolio- Operating rhythm – develop and communicate to delivery staff the operating rhythm requirements- Governance standards – develop and monitor governance standards to ensure consistency and accuracy across portfolio- Support for project delivery staff, including training sessions, documentation, ad hoc assistance for PMs and Analysts

Melbourne, Australia

Led team of 9 to 13 direct reports. Responsible for PMO strategy; continual improvement and ongoing operations of the PMO and Project Management methodology, governance, processes, tools, and reporting; portfolio management and analysis; implementation of HPE PPM (Portfolio Project Management) tool; introduction of agile tools and techniques; and, training and support to Project, Program and Portfolio management staff. Key achievements:• Established new team structure, incorporating project governance and project coordination services, and built team rapport, resulting in significantly increased team engagement score.• Successfully Implemented HPE Portfolio Project Management tool to 300 users, resulting in alignment with Technology strategy, increased program and portfolio functionality, and live reporting providing better visibility to management. • Developed a portfolio scenario modelling tool for resourcing supply and demand, resulting in provision of insights on project doability that highlighted resource hotspots, enabled portfolio prioritisation, and workforce planning. • Led Agile ‘Tools & Techniques’ work-stream as part of Agile Adoption project at UniSuper• Delivered all planned continual improvement initiatives each FY, resulting in achievement of departmental KRIs. • Introduced improved Risk, Issue, Change Control, Dependency Management and Project/Portfolio Reporting standards, resulting in improved efficiency, higher adoption rates, and improved visibility to senior management.• Oversaw introduction of stage gate process, risk management review processes, health checks, governance framework, and Agile Project Management tools/techniques, resulting in improved portfolio governance and adoption rates. • Awarded position as member of the ‘HPE PPM Customer Advisory Council’, representing Australian client business needs to PPM product owners.

Melbourne

Built and led a team of between 4 and 7 direct reports (PMO Analysts, Administrators, and system support staff) to ensure that the methodology and tools required to support the Project Portfolio were maintained, supported and continually improved. The role also involved training and support of Project and Program Managers, and monitoring of governance activities across the Portfolio. Key Achievements:• Development of strategy for PMO support team, including defining roles and roadmap, resulting in achievement of all team KRAs.• Implemented various new/improved processes and standards across the portfolio (scheduling standards, status reporting, financial tracking, and change control), which reduced preparation time for PM’s and increased quality of Executive portfolio visibility.• Achieved all personal and team KRAs contributing to department and project delivery continual improvement.

Set up a PMO function covering all existing projects and a large new program; defined and implemented standardised project management methods, tools and governance; trained and supported all project resources in use of tools & methods; maintained portfolio information; system administration for MS EPM 2007; and, monitored/reported on the project portfolio to executive leadership team.Key Achievements:• Implemented enterprise-wide tools, processes, methodology and governance resulting in portfolio visibility.• Introduced portfolio resource reporting to enable managers to identify and act on supply and demand issues.• Proposed and implemented a project costing model, resulting in consistent forecasting and tracking/reporting of actuals.

Melbourne, Australia

System administration, project support, financial analysis, business process design, and quality system implementation for the LogicalTech group of companies. Various client-facing consulting roles including ‘Support Coordinator’ for Telstra Corporate Security, and ‘Project Coordinator’ for Telstra, NAB HomeSide, Holmesglen Tafe, and MyHome International. Key Achievements:• Provision of high quality support, resulting in extension of client 3-month contract to 4.5 years. • Led emergency recovery of 3 critical client systems using creative hardware alternatives, resulting in minimised impact to emergency & national security services. • Developed financial forecasting tool enabling business owners to make decisions on project viability.

Melbourne, Australia

Accounting and administration support for the LogicalTech Group of Companies, including book-keeping, accounts payable and receivable, payroll and superannuation, financial reporting, process improvement, financial analysis.

Melbourne, Australia

Started and operated the business, with 7 regular clients around the Melbourne area. Services provided included book-keeping, completion of quarterly BAS statements, generation of sales invoices, payroll, accounts payable and receivable management, and preparation of marketing material. Key Achievements:• Successfully ran a profitable business with repeat business from all clients• Completed all client BAS and ATO submissions by deadlines• Assisted clients with transition on closure of my business by training their staff of choice to ensure clients would not be impacted.

Traineeship for Certificate IV in IT (User Support)Description: Clients included BHP Archives, Glaxo Welcome

Diploma Of Management

Certificate Iv In Financial Services (Superannuation)

Diploma Of Project Management, Project Management

Bachelor Of Arts (Community Development)

Certificate Iv In It (User Support)