Building a human resources function from nothing, leading a workforce transformation, and rebuilding an executive remuneration framework. Each one in a high-risk, unionised setting.
Building the human resources function from the ground up
The problem. CleanCo Queensland was new to power generation and had no human resources function at all. It needed one built from scratch, in a high-risk and heavily unionised environment, and it needed to be ready for complex union negotiations before it had the structure to hold them.
What was done. As a start-up human resources leader at CleanCo, I co-led the development of the function: the employee relations and industrial relations framework, and the policies and processes underneath it, built to the organisation's long-term shape rather than its first year. Enterprise bargaining agreements were brought into line with the industry's regulatory position, which set the ground for the negotiations that followed.
Outcome. The foundation held through the organisation's early growth. CleanCo runs a compliant human resources infrastructure that continues to carry its employee relations and industrial negotiations.
Leading a workforce transformation
The problem. Market shifts forced significant organisational change at Drayton Coal, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Australia, requiring workforce restructuring and the renegotiation of key industrial agreements. Productivity had to hold through it, and every step had to stay compliant with the industrial instruments in place.
What was done. As Chief People Officer, I led the transformation: a strategic plan carrying the change management process, the communication strategy, and a deliberate approach to keeping people engaged while the ground moved. The central piece was negotiating new enterprise agreements that balanced what the workforce needed against what the business could actually afford.
Outcome. The transformation completed with minimal disruption to operations. The new agreements gave both the business and its employees a stable footing, and engagement stayed high through the process rather than recovering afterwards.
Rebuilding the executive remuneration framework
The problem. Yancoal Australia was working from an outdated executive remuneration structure. It was losing people it wanted to keep and struggling to attract the people it wanted to hire.
What was done. A full review of the existing executive packages, then a new framework: competitive base salaries, performance-driven short-term incentives, and long-term incentive plans tied to the organisation's growth objectives. The structure was designed to hold talent without committing the business to a cost it could not carry.
Outcome. Retention and recruitment both improved. Tying incentives to business performance produced a measurable lift in executive engagement, and a closer connection between what leadership was paid for and what the business achieved.
All three sit in high-risk, unionised industries, and none of them was a document exercise. Each one had a deadline, a counterparty, and a consequence for getting it wrong.
If your situation looks like one of these, get in touch.