In May 2003, my wife (Sally-Anne) and I established our own management consulting firm (see pittgroup.com.au for more information). We're based in Melbourne, Australia and work with a range of clients located throughout Australia (and beyond for Sally-Anne).One of our core service offerings is audit and assurance. I am a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Government Auditing Professional through the Institute of Internal Auditors (since 2004). I am also an active member and supporter of the Institute of Internal Auditors - Australia and participate in a range of the institute's professional development and networking activities. As the Module Coordinator, I have a central role in the development and delivery of the Institute's Graduate Certificate in Internal Auditing. Competence is not just about professional qualifications. My skills and knowledge are being continually developed through the work that I do. At Pitt Group, we're committed to developing our competencies and those of our clients. We're regularly transferring our knowledge to clients, be that via formal training, mentoring or external quality assessments or via the findings and recommendations generated from our audit, assurance and management consulting work. An attractive feature of running a small consulting firm is the breadth of work that I have the opportunity to do and the variety of organisations and people that I get to work with. Having access to multiple organisations and people is a great way to learn and share better practices and to continually challenge my thinking. The nature of work varies between assurance and consulting, and the subject matter is ever evolving in line with the needs of our clients. Refer to my recent work examples for further details.

My second five years was spent working within the bureaucracy, primarily central agencies (e.g. Department of the Chief Minister) but also some time in service delivery agencies (e.g. Department of Corporate and Information Services). My work within central agencies provided me with exposure to the policy development process from the agency perspective. In particular, my work within the Policy and Coordination Unit involved providing written advice to the Chief Minister on all submissions made to Cabinet by other Ministers. The role also involved policy coordination across the Northern Territory Government and with government's from other jurisdictions. Rounding out my public sector education, I spent some time managing the delivery of library services. A decade of working within the public sector provided me with a detailed understanding of how policy is developed and implemented, the important role that government plays in our society, the complexity in which public sector organisations often have to operate, and the challenge in delivering services in remote areas. Its generated a passion to continue to work within the public sector (in a consulting role) and a love of auditing, evaluating and supporting organisations that operate in complex environments.Positions held within the Northern Territory Government: • Policy Officer, Policy and Coordination Unit, Department of the Chief Minister • Principal Policy Officer, Strategic Directions Group • Strategic ICT Advisor, Department of Corporate and Information Services • Assistant Director, Northern Territory Library and Information Services

It seems a long time ago but prior to establishing Pitt Group, Sally-Anne and I lived and worked in the Northern Territory for a decade. One of the great things about the Northern Territory was the work opportunities that are available, both the variety of and responsibilities given to you. I spent my first five years working in the executive arm of the Northern Territory Government with two Chief Ministers and three other Ministers. My roles included running the Chief Ministers Research Unit and working as a Ministerial Advisor across a range of portfolio areas (e.g. Housing, Indigenous Affairs, Asian Relations, Business Development, Power and Water, Health). Having majored in politics at university, the opportunity to work in executive government and participate in two election campaigns (1994 and 1998) was a great introduction to how government's operate. There were many highlights but the one that probably sticks out the most was working with Marshall Perron to develop the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act (passed in 1995 and subsequently overturned by the Australian Government).Positions held within the Northern Territory Government: • Director of Research Unit, Office of the Chief Minister • Ministerial Advisor for the Hons Marshall Perron (Chief Minister), Shane Stone (Chief Minister), Steve Hatton, Eric Poole and Daryl Manzie