Experience

New Arenas Capital Pty Ltd

• Business Transformation Leader, Advisor, Mentor

  • Sep 2006 - Present

  Stuart helps organisations shape and execute transformative performance and growth strategies. He achieves this by working with leaders and teams to develop the right stakeholder objectives that enable delivery of strengthened capabilities (i.e. people, processes & systems) and a confident agility to 'win' in complex operating environments. His consulting approach is a pragmatic mix of design, leadership, coaching and mentoring. Example clients: IAG; Tower Insurance (detail below); QSuper (detail below); Suncorp (detail below); AMP SMSF; SunSuper; SPARQ Solutions; Energex; Ergon Energy; Queensland Rail; National Storage; Anglican Church Grammar School; Tattersall's Club; Trueline Construction; Tu Projects; Auto Parts Group. Stuart partners with complementary consultancies including Blackbook ai (Artificial Intelligence and Automation); NAC Consulting (Process Excellence); Buchanan Success Coaching (Team Potential Achievement). From 2004 - 2009 (and during ownership of Management Effect) Stuart and a former Rugby Wallaby ran business coaching programs for elite athletes (circa 250) to develop business plans and skills as they prepared for transition from Rugby, AFL, Cricket, Soccer, NRL and Olympic roles.



Blackbook.ai

• Australia
• Information Technology & Services
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Head of Transformation

  • Nov 2022 - Present

  Blackbook.ai is an Australian company that is passionate about helping organisations unlock their true values with Artificial Intelligence, Automation and Data Analytics. Building on a 20+ year relationship with Blackbook's founders, Stuart and his New Arenas Capital colleagues and network combine their extensive business transformation expertise with the deep technical and 'user experience' expertise of Blackbook's team. This is a powerful combination focused on helping businesses and their people achieve successful outcomes in a rapidly evolving, and increasingly digital world.



Tattersall's Club

• Australia
• Recreational Facilities

• Non-Executive Director & Vice President

  • Mar 2014 - Mar 2022

  A complex role governing one of Australia’s oldest private membership clubs (established 1865): circa 5000 members with a seven-level, multi-purpose heritage listed Brisbane CBD building. Chaired Membership and Marketing SubCommittee and Futures SubCommittee. In 2018/19 the Committee / Board steered through fundamental along historic change to introduce female membership driven by opportunities to contemporise the Club's purpose and community impact. The role also required dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 and a implementing a multi-million dollar renovation to enhance member dining and business working facilities. 'Tatts' derives its name from Tattersall's, the London horse auction mart founded in 1776.



Tower Insurance

• New Zealand
• Insurance
• 700 & Above Employee

• Programme Director

  • Oct 2017 - Nov 2019

  Initially engaged on a short-term consultancy to re-start the Programme which had been paused following a takeover offer subsequently disallowed by New Zealand’s Competition Commission. Quickly engaged as Programme Director to update the Programme Business Case; design and recruit a high-performing delivery leadership team; re-engage and finalise procurement of system vendors (with one highlight being proposition and acceptance of a novel legal / delivery framework with the core system vendor); establish budget and governance processes; clarify the ‘digital challenger’ design; programme plan development; team onboarding; delivery environment setup for circa 125 onshore people and mechanisms for daily interaction with over 60 partner staff from eastern Europe, China, Australia and the US); transition to BAU (to prepare BAU capability owners and establish benefit realisation processes). Final investment $47m (from $40m business case).



QSuper Group

• Australia
• Financial Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Program Manager - QInsure

  • Jan 2016 - Aug 2017

  Engaged to lead the establishment of all operational structures and functions of the new QInsure business (Group Insurance to approx. 500,000 QSuper members). Following successful business commencement in July 2016, a further engagement was made to establish and advise the Insurance Transformation Project to uplift operating model and system capabilities. The role was completed on successful short-listing of appropriate system partners that could contribute to a preferred operating model. Engaged to lead the establishment of all operational structures and functions of the new QInsure business (Group Insurance to approx. 500,000 QSuper members). Following successful business commencement in July 2016, a further engagement was made to establish and advise the Insurance Transformation Project to uplift operating model and system capabilities. The role was completed on successful short-listing of appropriate system partners that could contribute to a preferred operating model.



Suncorp Group

• Australia
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Business Change Advisor & Program Manager

  • Mar 2008 - Aug 2013

  Developed business and implementation strategies for 4 key change programs. Then assumed the role of Program Manager to see the changes implemented. Changes included: * Vertically-integrated vehicle repair parts business model and JV with US-listed global entity * Whole of Group (15,000 staff) enterprise agreement, payroll system, intranet, policies, etc * Re-engineered and offshored high-volume insurance claims handling processes * Established a national panel arrangement for property claim assessments and repairs



Management Effect Pty Ltd

• Founder / Business Change & Implementation Partner

  • Sep 2002 - Aug 2006

  I established Management Effect to lead & incorporate my views, methods & objectives on helping businesses & people implement strategic business change. This approach proved attractive to many private & Queensland public sector organisations & to high-performing project managers & change consultants. Example clients: Suncorp; Medtronic; Main Roads Department; Queensland Rail; Logan City Council; Ipswich City Council; Gold Coast City Council; Tattersall's Club. I sold my share in Management Effect in August 2006 (which at that stage was 20 consultants and had just made BRW's 'Fast 100' list) to start New Arenas Capital Pty Ltd.



QUT (Queensland University of Technology)

• Australia
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• MBA Lecturer - Knowledge Management

  • Sep 2002 - May 2003

  Developed the "Knowledge Management" syllabus and reference material for QUT Business School's MBA students. Delivered the subject over two semesters and arranged face to face interviews with Brisbane-based senior executives to enable students to appreciate the 'real world' application of knowledge management as a function of strategy development and operational excellence. Developed the "Knowledge Management" syllabus and reference material for QUT Business School's MBA students. Delivered the subject over two semesters and arranged face to face interviews with Brisbane-based senior executives to enable students to appreciate the 'real world' application of knowledge management as a function of strategy development and operational excellence.



SMS Management & Technology

• IT Services and IT Consulting

• Senior Consultant / Managing Consultant

  • May 1995 - Sep 2002

  I commenced as one of the first consultants in the Brisbane office and project managed a range of business systems & change projects with businesses such as Suncorp, Energex, and Fauldings Pharmaceutical. Feeling the SMS model would work in the UK (having spent 5 years there, 1990-1994) myself & another consultant made the case for establishing an operation in London, UK. In December 1998 I relocated to London to help lead what became SMS' first international operation. Whilst still actively consulting, we grew the business to 26 consultants in 3 years working with a range of international businesses on complex M&A, post-merger, outsourcing, & systems implementation projects.



Stufffromhome.co.uk

• Founder / Director

  • Sep 1999 - Aug 2000

  Stufffromhome.co.uk was set up in 1999 as an on-line Australian / NZ / Sth African news, shopping & travel portal with fellow UK-based expats. Despite quickly attracting several thousand other expats to both online content & offline expat events, the April 2000 'tech-wreck'​ scared many businesses temporarily from the internet including the site's key advertisers & sponsors. With insufficient revenue & working capital, the business was closed. The lessons, however, were many & remain relevant to this day when implementing online customer platforms.



Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust

• United Kingdom
• Mental Health Care
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Financial Controller

  • Jan 1993 - Jun 1994

  The Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust was a merger of the mental health care services of two London health authorities and a world-renowned teaching hospital. As its first Financial Controller I helped our new Finance Team work with our stakeholders to establish new systems and processes that would achieve the merger objectives. The Tavistock & Portman NHS Trust was a merger of the mental health care services of two London health authorities and a world-renowned teaching hospital. As its first Financial Controller I helped our new Finance Team work with our stakeholders to establish new systems and processes that would achieve the merger objectives.


Rococo Publishing
• Finance System Implementer / Features Editor

  • Jun 1992 - Jan 1993

Enfield Health Authority
• Senior Finance Manager

  • Mar 1990 - Jun 1991

Novak Tonkin Property
• Sales and Leasing Consultant

  • Jan 1988 - Nov 1989

ASX
• Australia
• Financial Services
• 700 & Above Employee
• Operating Systems Help Desk - Brisbane Manager

  • Jun 1988 - Jan 1989

Logan City Council
• Australia
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee
• Trainee Local Government Clerk

  • Feb 1984 - Jun 1988