When things feel complex, uncertain or simply not quite right, I work alongside people and organisations to understand what matters and find thoughtful ways forward. I have spent decades working with people — as a leader, an educator, a nurse an advisor, an advocate and, perhaps most importantly, as a curious observer of what helps human beings and the systems around them work well.

My career began in nursing and grew into healthcare leadership, seniors' care, organisational development and governance. Along the way, I have led teams and organisations, supported people through change and conflict, worked alongside patients, residents, and families, developed leaders, advocated for better care, and helped organisations look beneath the obvious problem to understand what may really be happening.
I have grown, hopefully wiser, as a result of my roles as a parent, a colleague, a mentor, a student, a yoga practitioner, and someone who has lived enough life to know that expertise matters enormously — but it isn't everything.


My understanding of people and the world has been shaped by decades of professional practice, formal education, personal study and lived experience.
These five interconnected perspectives inform how I listen, question, lead and relate to others.
My approach is grounded in anti-oppressive perspectives, with a particular interest in power, equity, belonging and the systems that shape our experiences.
Alongside this sits a deep appreciation for trauma-informed practice, human relationships, the intelligence of the body, contemplative traditions and the search for meaning.
I value the meeting place of evidence and intuition, ancient wisdom and contemporary understanding, compassion and accountability.
These are not separate disciplines, but interconnected ways of understanding what it means to be human.
Melanie is skilled at managing and interpreting the nuances of dealing with difficult situations and personalities with direct, non-confrontational dialogue, allowing all to work towards constructive solutions that improve both patient care outcomes and those serving them.
Melanie came into our organization at a time of incredible turmoil and change. Within one year she had established operational and human resource stability that allowed us to truly focus on our clients care needs. Within 2 years we improved our health authority risk rating and designed recruitment strategies aimed at retention. She is smart, determined and skilled at her work.
We greatly benefitted from her leadership, knowledge and skills. Calmly, carefully and cleverly Melanie was able to steady us as we moved through Covid’s consequences in healthcare while seamlessly supporting staff retention and operational excellence. Honest, quality driven and determined, a rare mix.
Melanie joined us when our organization was under significant investigation. She was able to find a way to build relationships with funders that created trust. This allowed us to develop meaningful key indicators, focused operational goals and develop bold HR plans to support staff, clients, families and our health authority. She is astute, funny and focused.
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Melanie has a wide range of administrative, clinical and interpersonal skills packaged in a wonderfully friendly, witty, sincere and caring human being.
Melanie inspires staff to have a strong sense of their own ability and confidence as they practice what she calls ‘the art of nursing’,
Melanie has the ability to look at the whole picture and make collaborative and pragmatic decisions that benefit patients and staff alike.
I remember being in a room full of angry senior executives watching Melanie, who was tasked with the role of finding connection around a significant operational and clinical challenge. She listened, asked a few questions and at the end and then reflected back to them, with details, kindness, and common threads, her thoughts and some ideas and solutions. Somehow, and I still don’t know how she managed it, we came out of that meeting with a superior working relationship, comfort in a crisis, and a plan that is still in action today.
