Belinda Harries

Director

OVERVIEW

Belinda is a seasoned Australian education strategy and policy expert, having spent many years in senior roles within the Commonwealth and Victorian state governments. Qualified in economics, Belinda is a dynamic thinker willing to embrace and develop outside-the-box opportunities. She has combined her government career with ventures including founding a development think-tank in Vanuatu as well as an ed-tech startup focussed on student learning data for school teachers.

QUALIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

Bachelor of Commerce (Hons), University of Sydney

Masters of Public Policy, Graduate Research Institute for Policy Studies (Tokyo, Japan)

Sharon Kennard

DIRECTOR

OVERVIEW

Sharon joined atticusnow as a manager. She brings a depth of experience in regulatory analysis, program review and cost-benefit analysis. Sharon was formerly an Associate Director at PWC, Senior Manager at the Allen Consulting Group and Regulatory advisor at the Australian Information Industry Association.

EXPERIENCE

Regulatory and policy advice

Sharon was the key policy and regulatory advisor to the AIIA focusing on environment and waste policies. As a consultant she managed numerous Regulation Impact Statements and cost benefit analysis studies including For the Commonwealth Government:

• Regulatory analysis for the proposed National occupational licensing scheme. 

• Mandatory disclosure of Energy Efficiency for residential properties .

• Mandatory disclosure of Energy Efficiency for commercial properties

• National Construction Code 

• National Waste Strategy

• The extension of the National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM)

Sharon managed for Victorian Government Regulation Impact Statements for the following regulatory and legislative proposals.

• Exemption of Parole Boards from Human Rights Charter (for the Department of Justice)

• Petroleum Act and Regulations 2010 (for the Department of Primary Industries)

Strategic advice and analysis

Advice to the National Plumbing Regulators Forum on the future of the Watermark scheme 

• Advice to the Victorian government on opportunities for the building and construction sector as a result of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies 

• Development of an evaluation framework for the Australian Government for the comparison of options emerging from the National Human Rights Consultation

• Development of an impact analysis framework for the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

• Development of a framework for measuring the benefits of planning reform (for all planning Ministers).

• The business case for a National Construction Code.

QUALIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

Bachelor of Economics, Australian National University

Bachelor of Arts (Political Science), Australian National University

Jonah Lilley

Manager

OVERVIEW

Jonah joined atticusnow as a graduate recruit and has worked on number of consulting projects including a commercialisation strategy project for a major university, fast track reviews on opportunities for regulatory reform within Victoria with the Department of Treasury and Finance, work on an Economic development strategy for the City of Melbourne, advice for businesses impacted by COVID-19, and an analysis and review of internal decision-making processes for an overseas telecommunications client.

Within these projects Jonah has been responsible for undertaking comparative analysis of regulatory frameworks and methodologies, liaising regularly with clients, as well as preparing and presenting reports and advice.

QUALIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

Bachelor of Commerce, University of Melbourne

Stefan Anjou

MANAGER

OVERVIEW

Stefan has worked as a consultant for over three years advising government, corporate and non–profit clients on policy and regulatory issues, in addition to tackling complex operational challenges.

He has experience across a broad range of sectors and his clients have included large renewable energy proponents and multinational manufacturing companies in the corporate environment, First Nations and community controlled organisations, peak industry bodies and government agencies, at both federal and state levels. 

Stefan has a strong record with achieving results and his outputs include delivering government engagement strategies, organisational reviews, stakeholder analysis, policy advocacy/support, grant management, Board support and ongoing trusted adviser support.

EXPERTISE

• Strategy and policy analysis

• Project management

• Research

• Report writing

• Stakeholder engagement and government relations

EXPERIENCE

• First Nations organisations – led and delivered organisational reviews and operational projects, working closely with First Nations leaders to identify and deliver recommendations for immediate and long term organisational improvement

• Large corporate manufacturing companies – provision of government relations and policy support and advice on current and emerging issues to manage and deliver robust government engagement strategies

• Government agencies – provision of ongoing stakeholder management support and policy advice. Delivered research and engagement strategies with respect to industry and government stakeholders in preparation for future activities

QUALIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

Executive Master of Arts, University of Melbourne

Bachelor of Arts (History and Philosophy), University of Melbourne

Diploma in Languages (French), University of Melbourne

Grace Fradgley

Associate

OVERVIEW

Grace joined atticusnow in February and has been involved in research and analysis on various  projects and proposals. Grace has conducted project support on several projects at atticusnow including:

• University of Melbourne, Research Strategy – researched funding trends and conducted data analysis.

• Geoscience Australia, RDMD Engagement Report – organised stakeholder consultations, transcribed workshop outputs and conducted analysis following codesign workshops and interviews.

• IAG, Indian Community Centre – contacted stakeholders, investigated key demographic features and researched case studies.

• Agriculture Victoria, Victorian wine strategy – drafted engagement plan, outlined work plan and key deadlines.

• Creative Australia, First Nations First – conducted research on the First Peoples arts in Australia.

• VicHealth, Financial Sustainability Plans – conducted research on the context of regions in Victoria and financial projections of potential revenue streams.

Grace previously worked at Frontier Economics in London as an Intern. There she focused on regulation in the telecoms and competition industry. She conducted research and analysis on the broadcasting markets in two Asian countries, analysed raw data and prepared slide decks, quality assured complex models and drafted RFI responses to the European Commission. 

Grace has also interned at an investment management firm, Downing LLP, where she rationalised and cleaned data on prospective clients.

QUALIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

First Class Honours Degree in Economics, University of Birmingham

Caroline Chernov

speCIAL Adviser - SOCIAL CAPITAL

A systems change and complexity practitioner, Caroline has participated in disruption, innovation and social and environmental change for over 20 years, having cut her teeth for 10 years in international business. She is passionate about taking on bold reforms and getting under the hood of change aspirations with rigour and discipline mixed with creativity, an open mindset and collaborative practices. She thrives in the unknown with those who have the courage to take on change in ESG complexity. Her advisory work helps organisations build mindsets and muscle for adaption as they tackle complex issues involving environment, social and governance (ESG) factors. This involves getting great at partnering in cross sector collaborations, accessing and blending new forms of finance and resetting strategy and impact reporting for reflexive practice.

Caroline advises across sectors, disciplines and organisational sizes because this mirrors her training and career path through these different environments. She has held leadership and board positions in corporate, university, impact investing, NGO and philanthropy sectors across Australia and the US. She has driven business and social change across a range of organisation sizes from start-ups to multi nationals and has seeded, incubated and spun off a national, social purpose enterprise. Caroline is an active board director and advisor to a range of organisations in Australia, Asia and Europe that tackle gender equity, the arts, poverty and slum renewal, bio medical innovation and impact investing. She is.an Honorary Senior Fellow and graduate of The University of Melbourne and holds an M.B.A. from IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland and a diploma in managing Non Profit Organisations from Harvard University, USA.

Steve Thorne

speCIAL Adviser - Urban Design

Steve Thorne has over 30 years practical experience working in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the UAE, Oman, and China. He has been directly involved in many urban growth area planning strategies, including Melbourne 2030, Horsham 2040, Western Sydney Growth Strategy, the Christchurch Growth Strategy in New Zealand, Baralink Development Plan, and the Midland Development Framework in South Africa, the implementation of large sections of the West Dapto Land Release area in NSW, and the Canning Vale Structure Plan in Western Australia.

Kate Eriksson

speCIAL Adviser - digital

A stalwart of the digital industry, Kate Eriksson’s experience and network spans across some of the most iconic digital businesses in the world such as Google, Facebook, Skype and Twitter. Kate has advised corporate boards of various businesses about how they can drive innovation across multiple industries of government, financial services, telecommunications and media.

With predominant experience in the field of mobile innovation, Kate’s achievements in this area include responsibility for the design and operation of the world’s first mobile Skype, implementing an SMS capability for Twitter, aligning Google location and developing a broker model connecting two billion consumers with internet services.

Described as the matriarch of the AT&T Foundry in Silicon Valley, in her role as Director, Kate was responsible for successfully establishing the business and collaborating with startups, venture capitalists, Stanford University academics and developers.

At PwC Kate was instrumental in the development of programs for driving innovation throughout the broader corporate ecosystem, as well as building new digital experiences and advising on business growth. Having spent seven years working in Asia, Europe, Israel and the US, Kate is passionate about the success of Australian innovation and growth, and the positive impact of technology on a range of social challenges.

Peter Harris

Special adviser - economics and policy

Peter Harris recently retired as the Chairman of the Productivity Commission. Previously he served as Secretary of the Australian Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, and the Victorian  Government agencies responsible for Sustainability and the Environment, Primary Industries, and Public Transport. He has worked for the Ansett-Air New Zealand aviation group and as a consultant on transport policy. He has also worked in Canada on exchange with the Privy Council Office. His career with the government started with the Department of Overseas Trade and included periods with Treasury, Finance, the Prime Minister’s Department, and Transport. He has also worked in the Prime Minister’s Office, on secondment from the Prime Minister’s Department, as a member of then Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s personal staff. In 2013 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Ray Challen

Special adviser - energy and utilities

Ray’s recent professional experience comprises seven years of executive and board leadership roles with the Government of Western Australia. Prior experience comprises 23 years of research and consulting positions across environmental science, natural resource management, economic regulation and public policy.

Since August 2017 Ray has been a member of the governing body of the Economic Regulation Authority of Western Australia which has the principal functions of access regulation for energy and rail infrastructure; licensing of energy businesses; compliance and enforcement for the Western Australian Wholesale Electricity Market; and the independent conduct of economic and policy inquiries for the Western Australian Government.

Mario D’Elia

special adviser - Infrastructure financing

Mario is a very experienced strategic, commercial and financial advisor across a wide range of industries, project types and sizes. He has worked for both the private and public sectors in Australia and internationally.

Mario established and led PwC Australia’s infrastructure advisory practice for over 20 years and when in the Public Service he played a significant role in the establishment and development of the Projects and Reform Group within the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance.

In a volatile market, Mario has been and continues to be at the forefront of market changes to allow both the private and public sectors to achieve the best outcomes for all parties.

Tim Murray

special adviser - economic modelling

Tim has led a professional career centred on the application of quantitative tools to policy analysis. He has developed and used – and led teams that developed and used – a range of modelling tools including advanced econometrics, machine learning, microsimulation models, general equilibrium models, and a number of custom-built partial equilibrium models.

He started Precision Economics when he left the public service as a Senior Executive at the Australian Government Productivity Commission.

His genuine enthusiasm and love of mathematics, data, economics, and models (which pervades his non-professional life) drives his desire to produce high quality quantitative work which provides insights that would be unavailable otherwise.