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Strategic-Sensemaking
July 21, 2026•6 min read
Leanne was referred to me by a colleague who is an executive leader within the emergency service industry in Victoria and came with impeccable background and experience. Once I met Leanne, I knew immediately this recommendation was warranted and I was excited to work with her. I engaged Leanne to work with me in the development, uplift, and training of the venue management team in the resilience and emergency management space, including the executive suite. Leanne’s calm, friendly and professional manner of training was quickly welcomed, along wither her robust and comprehensive training content. The feedback was so positive that Leanne was quickly engaged to attend the following year to facilitate training again. I would happily recommend Leanne to any topflight organisations that are looking to improve, design, or develop their resilience portfolio.
Prior to the Crisis Management Establishment Program (CMEP), our approach to crisis management was more reactive than structured, with varying levels of understanding and preparedness across the organisation. While we had capable people, there was an opportunity to strengthen alignment, decision-making discipline and escalation processes during high-pressure situations. The CMEP helped establish a clearer and more consistent framework for managing critical incidents. It improved organisational awareness around roles, communication pathways and decision-making responsibilities, while also increasing confidence across the leadership team during periods of uncertainty or disruption. From my perspective, the program reduced ambiguity and improved our ability to respond in a more coordinated and disciplined manner. It also created stronger alignment between operational and executive teams, which is critical in a manufacturing environment where timing and communication are essential. What has stayed with me most is the importance of preparation, scenario thinking and establishing clear governance before a crisis occurs, rather than trying to build structure in the middle of an event. Leanne brought a practical and engaging approach to the program, balancing strategic thinking with operational realities. I would have no hesitation in recommending her to organisations looking to strengthen leadership capability, crisis preparedness and organisational resilience.
Leanne got me out of my head and helped reframe the capability gap I could see. The session was "on point" and gave tangible priorities for us to progress.
The company always had the understanding at the executive level of where accountability ultimately sat during significant events. Our sites were experienced in managing incidents and emergencies, and people understood their responsibilities within their areas. However, what was less defined was the structure of accountabilities across the organisation, the escalation pathways between sites and executives, and a consistent framework to guide decision-making from initial trigger through to resolution. The biggest shift was the establishment of a clear and practical Crisis and Emergency Management Plan that provides that structure. It created a common understanding of who does what, when and why, and established the protocols required for seamless escalation and transfer of control when an event requires executive involvement. This is particularly important when managing communications with the Board, regulators, the public and the media while our sites remain focused on operational response. As General managers and contributors to the development of the CMEP, we were able to help shape a framework that aligns executive requirements with operational realities. The result is greater clarity about the support that sites need during critical events and the information executives require to make effective decisions. This has the potential for reduced ambiguity, improved confidence in escalation processes, and strengthened organisational preparedness. What I appreciate is the value of having a consistent framework that can be applied regardless of the type of event. It enables earlier recognition of escalation points and provides a practical roadmap for managing complex situations without relying solely on individual experience. That consistency will continue to improve our capability as the approach is embedded across the organisation. If someone asked me about working with Leanne, I would say she efficiently understands both the operational and executive perspectives and is effective at bringing them together. She facilitated a collaborative process that resulted in a solution tailored to our organisation, balancing governance requirements with practical application. The outcome is a framework that is robust, easy to follow and capable of supporting the organisation when it really matters.
I had the pleasure of working with Leanne across two important strategic projects, where she played a significant role in strengthening our organisational resilience, governance and crisis preparedness capabilities. These were complex, business-wide initiatives requiring the alignment of executive leaders, operational teams and subject matter experts across the organisation. Leanne consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to bridge strategic intent with practical implementation, ensuring solutions were not only well designed but also realistic, scalable and capable of being embedded into day-to-day operations. One of Leanne's greatest strengths is her ability to quickly understand an organisation's culture, operating environment and challenges. Rather than applying a standard methodology, she tailored her approach to suit our business, building strong relationships and earning credibility with stakeholders at every level. Her collaborative style encouraged open discussion, challenged thinking constructively and helped create genuine ownership of outcomes. Through her guidance, we strengthened governance arrangements, clarified roles and responsibilities, improved decision-making and escalation processes, and enhanced our organisational capability to prepare for and respond to complex and rapidly evolving situations. Importantly, the value of her work extended well beyond the life of the projects, leaving us with stronger frameworks, improved organisational discipline and greater confidence in our leadership capability. What impressed me most was Leanne's belief that resilience is built well before it is ever tested. She consistently reinforced the importance of preparation, governance and capability development, ensuring the organisation was better positioned to respond effectively when it mattered most. Leanne is highly professional, engaging and outcomes focused. She combines strategic thinking with a practical, collaborative approach that enables organisations to navigate complexity while delivering sustainable improvements. I would not hesitate to recommend Leanne to any organisation seeking to strengthen governance, organisational resilience, crisis management capability or lead significant organisational transformation. She is a trusted adviser who delivers lasting value.
We wanted to strengthen our executive team's approach to crisis management and ensure we had a practical framework for responding to complex, high-pressure situations. The objective was not simply to review our existing processes, but to improve the way we think, communicate and make decisions during a crisis. Rather than focusing solely on processes and procedures, Leanne demonstrated how important it is to quickly identify the information that is critical and needs to be communicated immediately, while recognising what can be addressed later.
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