I developed Geist Consulting with a specific purpose: to partner with values-matched organisations and work with them on projects of strategic importance. Combining a strategic approach, with significant on-tools experience, I can assist with facilitating planning sessions, developing roadmaps for project success, campaign planning and capacity building. My current client list includes organisations from the education, health and for-purpose sectors.

Working together with a dedicated, experienced team of consultants on multi-stakeholder projects in the health and medical research context, I provide strategic oversight of communications priorities and tangible services that assist with communications objectives.

WACSSO is the peak governing body representing parents of children in State schools, influencing the direction of public education for the benefit of students. For over a century, WACSSO has worked passionately with school organisations across the State to improve the public education system - all the while never losing sight of a simple principle: that we are stronger together.In this marketing, communications and policy role, I shape the WACSSO brand and reputation, oversee media and public relations activities, ensure streamlined communications with our range of stakeholders, including the Department of Education, and interpret new policies affecting State schools, providing advice to the WACSSO President.

Carmel School is consistently ranked as one of WA's leading independent schools. It is Perth's only Jewish school and offers a rich and vibrant learning environment that aides in the development of committed young people who go on to contribute significantly to the wider community.This position includes a focus on overarching brand, marketing and communications strategies, tactical recruitment and retention campaigns, traditional and social media management, leadership of admissions and student administration, fundraising and community engagement and events management. As a member of the school leadership team, I work collaboratively to manage change and encourage innovation, with the goal of positioning Carmel as the school of choice.

This role directs, develops and implements student communications and online engagement initiatives that deliver on the vision of the UWA student experience. Stakeholders include senior staff, current students, UWA Guild and external agencies. Goals of the role include developing strategic relationships across campus, initiating and progressing broad-scale projects and, importantly, building a sense of community within the student population on campus.In this role, I provide professional leadership to the functions of student engagement, online communities and internal communications at UWA.

This leadership role is responsible for coordinating a consistent, strategic marketing and communications approach across the University by maintaining and implementing policies and plans which identify marketing strategies and opportunities. Key responsibilities include creating, implementing and maintaining the University’s central marketing and communications strategy (including the development of key marketing themes and messages), providing leadership and support to the Faculty marketing staff and liaising with external marketing and advertising professionals to facilitate a co-ordinated and consistent approach to the marketing and promotion of the University. I also have the additional responsibility of ensuring the University’s visual image is properly applied internally and externally. Key priorities include the protection, development and management of the University’s brand, supporting the activities of nine faculties in their communications with external stakeholder groups and providing advice on internal communications opportunities.

Under broad direction, I lead the central University marketing, media, public relations, and events teams within Public Affairs at UWA. This role makes me one of the most senior communications professionals at UWA, an institution with over 3,000 staff and approximately 25,000 students. My teams are collectively responsible for communications and events that support and enhance the University’s brand and reputation. I am also responsible for the strategic oversight of our creative agency relationship and the partnership with our market research provider, as well as maintaining several partnership/sponsorship agreements, including the relationship between UWA and the Perth International Arts Festival. Together with the team, I provide advice and support for marketing, communications and public relations strategies for audiences as broad as prospective students, alumni, business and industry and the local community. Key priorities and responsibilities include: - the protection, development and management of the University’s brand and visual identity to support the development of the University’s reputation in local, national and international markets; - annual strategic planning activities; including brand strategy, social media strategy, and advertising strategy, in conjunction with staff in academic and administrative centres; - an internal communications project, with a focus on change management; - relationships management (internal and external); - budget control; - providing strategic advice to internal clients, such as faculty deans and marketing staff to facilitate a coordinated and consistent approach to marketing across the University; and, - team management and development.I am successful in this role due to my ability to work in partnership with staff at all levels of the University; from the Vice-Chancellor through to the Deans and other academic staff and professional staff at management and assistant level.

My key responsibility at the University of Sydney was to develop strategies and implement plans to market the University’s courses to potential undergraduate students. I worked at the central-marketing level, meaning I provided diplomatic direction and leadership across the sixteen faculties regarding their student recruitment activities. My key activities included; - developing the overall undergraduate marketing strategy for the University; - providing tactical support and advice to faculties that incorporated the integration of corporate and faculty undergraduate marketing strategies; - strategically managing the University’s links with high schools and their students (our key stakeholder groups);- managing a team of staff and a substantial budget; - involvement in a number of market research projects designed to assess the University’s success in various market places and to investigate the possible changing influences on prospective students.

The position of Registrar within a University is a senior-management level appointment and one that is reserved for talented staff who have superior skills in the areas of management, systems analysis, policy and procedure creation and assessment and stakeholder relations. In my role, the skills above were essential, but I was also required to be creative, agile and responsive as the University campus was being established. Much of my role was concerned with establishing and testing systems, at the same time successfully introducing a new tertiary education provider to the complex and competitive stakeholder market in NSW/ACT. I greatly enjoyed the challenge of setting up a new enterprise and introducing the University to a new consumer market. Operationally, my position involved the management of five main areas: 1. Admissions Office 2. Prospective Students Office 3. International Education Office (including admission, recruitment and reporting) 4. Student Administration and Fees Office 5. Timetabling and Course Management Office (including collection of data for reporting to DEEWR and other government agencies) Within these areas I was involved in: - strategic planning to build an enrolment base in-line with budget projections; - brand management and profiling; - strategic stakeholder relations; - solving complex organisational problems (either with systems, strategic direction, internal communications or in a more-hands on way through the development of the campus timetable);- a feedback process to executive staff on the impact of federal government legislation and proposals; - the development of systems and policies associated with records management that were in-line with regulations and legislation, and regularly audited; and - management of a team of staff and a substantial budget.