Fiona Mcdonald Email and Phone Number

I'm back working as a consultant, a role I love; drawing on 30 years of learning & development experience partnering with organisations, achieving a measurable impact on big or small capability challenges.

As Global Head of Learning & Development, I'm responsible for the strategic direction and success of Thoughtworks Academies, with a recent focus on critical consulting, leadership and industry capabilities. Leading the Academies is a business/learning partnership to build target capability priorities at a global scale, more than doubling the reach in 12 months. Passionately driving holistic, impactful learning outcomes including expanding cohort & community learning and harvesting local innovation & experimentation to scale.For four years (2019 - 2023) I was a learning specialist in a small strategic change team, leading the capability uplift of ThoughtWorks global account leadership transformation, reaching over a 1,000 account leaders in 18 countries. I applied LX (Learner centric design) methods to define and develop new learning products, drawing on change practice, market analysis, agile methodologies and practise to develop scaleable, flexible, successful global capability uplift programs.

I was contracted to ThoughtWorks Germany to work as an instructional designer on a unique project. Working with an expert team in Berlin and then remotely from Melbourne, I developed two learning products for a large online services client, now available globally;* An introduction to agile methodology: 2 hour practical workshop integrating case study, expert video and practise.* A 2 day agile inception toolkit, incorporating case studies, practical agile tools and methodologies in both off and on the job learning.It's all about iterating to learn, about gathering feedback as we build the training experience so that we can get it right together.

I design, deliver and evaluate professional learning programmes across industry, including business to business, education and community sectors. I apply my experience in the domain of agile product development to create engaging learning activities and compelling course content in consultation and partnership with content experts and stakeholders. I'm passionate about learning.My extensive experience in knowledge translation means that I work closely with organisations to develop learning resources and education products to share their knowledge and learning meaningfully and effectively. These learning experiences are developed to meet the needs of the organisation; workshop, e-learning, scaleable, accredited, on-the-job, hybrid.... whichever approach best satisfies the needs of the organisation, iterating as we go.

Recognising the need to engage younger visitors to the Wildlife of Gondwana exhibition, I worked with esteemed palaeontologist Pat Vickers-Rich and the PrimeSci! team at Monash University to develop a scaleable interactive education product. The self-guided QR tour is a digital asset that travels seamlessly with the exhibition.

* Developed an innovative, inquiry based curriculum for 6,000 + high school students visiting the trade training centre, KIOSC (Knox Innovation Opportunity Sustainability Centre) at Swinburne University. * Integrated sustainability, science, technology and vocational content into engaging, hands on challenges. * Applied Education for Sustainability (EfS) principles and behaviour change theories. * Created the content for an interactive learning application about Sustainable Urban Development (Knoxbridge Park) which integrates a multi-screen immersion theatre with iPad team guides and interactive resource libraries. * Created all the content, flow and rules for interaction in this program, which is used by high school students daily at KIOSC.* Wrote and edited all the content for the iPad team guides using a CMS (Content Management System).* Curriculum development included; research and consultation across industry, local government, schools, subject matter experts and community organisations. It included the piloting, facilitation and review through to live implementation.* Enrolment and activity registration for 6,000 students and KIOSC iPads is tracked at KIOSC with a custom built iPad application. I was the Product Manager for this application, developing the specifications, organising user trials and implementation. * Developed the 'Waste' and 'Water' modules for the Sustainable Urban Development interactive, including the iPad team guides and lesson plans.* Transitioned the extensive learning resources and program to the permanent KIOSC teachers.

I had a series of vocational curriculum design contracts with the National Centre of Sustainability at Swinburne University to develop, edit and review accredited vocational training. Essential to the success of the role was daily consultation with subject matter experts, industry and VET representatives, accreditation steering committees, industry training councils and stakeholders.* Reviewed and edited the popular Diploma of Sustainability for national circulation. This included all learning resources; participant guide, facilitator guide, reference and presentation material in both face to face learning and hybrid e-learning modules.* Researched and prepared a comprehensive business case and market research study for the re-accreditation (both VET sector and Higher Ed) of the post-grad Vocational Graduate Certificate in Education and Training for Sustainability.* Developed the TAE10 Training and Education Sustainable Practice Skill set vocational units for national adoption in consultation with industry council and stakeholders.* Curriculum writer working with subject matter experts to develop all learning resources for the Vocational Graduate Certificate in Education and Training for Sustainability. * Consulted, developed, piloted and facilitated a TAFE teacher training workshop rolled out nationally for the TAFE Development Centre (VDC.edu.au).

Greener Houses Growing Greener Neighbourhoods programme. The programme provided an exciting opportunity for Neighbourhood Houses and local volunteers to take action on climate change in their communities, learn new skills, and help others to take action.* Worked in a small team developing this community focused behaviour change programme in partnership with seven Neighbourhood Houses, five local governments, two tertiary institutions and many business sponsors.* Primary role was to develop practical tools and resources, in consultation with the community volunteers, and support the volunteers to be confident change agents.

Provision of Secretariat services to this Victorian State Government, industry round table.

Working for Ericsson Australia I was initially part of the Leadership Development team: * Responsible for the co-ordination of non-technical training for the 1,200 Australian employees. This included the sourcing and development of short courses based on training needs analysis across diverse business and technical sectors. * Member of a global leadership development team, facilitating leadership programs developed in partnership with INSEAD Graduate Business School and Ken Blanchard (Situational Leadership)* Joined the global B2B technical learning team as Business Development Manager to grow and manage the development, customisation and delivery of B2B technical learning solutions for a demanding and diverse Asia Pacific market.

Shomega Ltd was a public company in the pre-press and graphic arts industry, specialising in graphic reproduction. It had 1,600 employees and $180 million annual turnover, with employees across Australia, New Zealand and India. I joined Shomega as their first Training and Development Manager. Achievements included:* enhance and drive an organisation wide learning culture* stakeholder engagement* develop and implement a full performance review process* initiation and management of organisation Workplace Competency Standards* development and implementation of a Senior Management Development Program* introduction of the Certificate in First Line Management* development of learning policies and processes including; on-boarding, exit interviews, learning development strategy* regular training needs analysis and program review and evaluation.

Worked for the Federal Department of Employment, Education and Training in a range of positions, including:* Employment consultant, Commonwealth Employment Service (CES offices)* Youth employment consultant, Youth Access Centre* Workplace Training Reform policy administrator* Industry Trainer, Training Services Australia. Specialising in the implementation of Workplace Training Reform through the development and delivery of train-the-trainer and facilitation skills training.* Established the Department as a Registered Training Organisation for the delivery of the APS traineeship.* Government representative for Industry Training Council