Principal Consultant
Jessica has over two decades of experience facilitating stakeholder engagement and team and leadership development. She is committed to helping people to reach their potential in workplaces, and to building healthier, more engaged cultures using research-backed methodologies. She is a skilled consultant, coach and facilitator who prioritises psychological safety and making a valuable impact on the organisations she works with.
Background and experience:
After graduating from The University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (First Class Honours) Jessica worked in the Victorian State Government for seven years across a range of portfolios including economics, social research, and curriculum development, and led a behaviour change project with Monash University’s Department of Psychology. Jessica has subsequently directed two businesses, managed a team in a large regional health service and led complex stakeholder engagements within a consultancy that specialised in deliberative democracy. Jessica’s experiences have enabled her to develop practical knowledge across diverse sectors including health services, all levels of government, non-government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and business. Jessica has also held two board director positions including a current role at Sirovilla Incorporated.
With accreditations in a range of facilitation and coaching methodologies, Jessica is also a registered teacher and has taught young people and delivered teacher professional development programs in Australia, Tanzania and multiple countries throughout Asia. She has also completed post-graduate studies focusing on adult learning and systems management. Jessica is skilled in responding to conflict, grief and crisis in organizations, which was the topic of her 2024 TEDx talk, ‘The Power of Connection During Conflict’.
Inspired by:
Jessica is inspired by outdoor adventures, travel and health, particularly psychological and spiritual health. She became a student of the Japanese martial art aikido in 2015, and has since practiced with aikido masters across four continents and established The Travelling Dojo to share the principles of aikido in workplaces. Having grown up around farming, she loves animals, is passionate about equine therapy, and is always ready to pick up a broom in the shearing shed. Jessica is a committed supporter of the arts, including visual and experiential arts, and live music.