organisational transformation & leadership development
Transformation that sticks. Strategy that moves. Teams that deliver.
I help organisations turn strategy into momentum: practical transformation, leadership development, and better ways of working.
No 200-page decks. No six-month diagnosis. Just clarity, action, and results.
Powered by Design for Thinking: a brain-friendly operating system for modern work
Trusted by leaders across superannuation, finance, government, education and complex service organisations
Most transformation efforts fail, not because strategy is wrong, but because it never gets translated into how people actually work.
I help leaders close that gap.
No endless workshops. No 200-page reports. Just practical systems that make strategy real in the day-to-day, so your teams can deliver without burning out.
The problems I solve
Misaligned teams
Everyone is busy, but nothing is moving forward together.
Firefighting culture
Reactive mode becomes the default. Strategic work gets pushed to "next quarter”.
Change that doesn’t stick
Another restructure, another framework, same underlying issues.
Slow adaptability
Your systems and habits can't keep up with the pace of change your organisation needs.
Work with me
Organisational Transformation
Make strategy real and change stick.
I help you align strategy to measurable outcomes, establish rhythms that protect focus and speed decisions, and visualise work so teams can deliver across functions.
leadership development
Leaders at their best.
Human-first leadership skills applied on the job, not in a classroom. Includes optional executive coaching for senior leaders.
+90% alignment
A financial services leadership team went from fragmented priorities to unified execution in 12 weeks.
Results that matter:
100% leaders: productivity +
Reworked how a government agency's leadership team structured their time. Every single leader reported working more effectively.
+8 pts engagement
Shifted from reactive firefighting to proactive leadership. People knew what mattered and why.
−49% open queries (4 wks)
Redesigned how a service desk in a 1000+ person organisation handled incoming work. Fewer bottlenecks, faster decisions.
+20% efficiency
New ways of working plus clearer accountability meant a innovation team delivered more with the same resources.
Powered by Design for Thinking
What is Design for Thinking?
Design for Thinking (DfT) is my methodology for making organisations work better—practically, not theoretically. It's built on how our brains actually work, not outdated management theory.
DfT helps teams protect attention, make faster decisions, and keep strategy alive in everyday work. No complex frameworks to learn. Just better ways of working that stick.
How we’ll work together
I don't do endless discovery phases or hundred-page reports. We move fast and focus on what matters:
Understand what's actually happening
Not what the strategy doc says—what's really going on. We get clear on where you are and where you need to be.
Cut through to the essentials
Most organisations are drowning in complexity. I simplify, prioritise, and set a clear path forward.
Build the rhythms that make it stick
One-off workshops don't create change. I establish ways of working that compound week after week.
Measure what matters and keep improving
Real metrics, not vanity measures. I track progress and adjust as we go.
About
I'm Cat Russell, an organisational transformation consultant and leadership coach based in Melbourne. Over the past decade, I've helped more than 30 organisations across superannuation, finance, government and education make strategy real and change stick.
I'm not your typical consultant. Before I started advising organisations, I sat in the hot seat. I held senior leadership roles where I was accountable for people, performance, and profit. I know what it's like to inherit messy systems, face unrealistic timelines, and need change that actually works.
My approach is pragmatic, brain-friendly, and grounded in what people can actually use. Just clarity, momentum and results.
Let's talk
If you're leading transformation or looking for a different approach to strategy execution and leadership development, let's have a conversation. No pitch, no pressure. Just a straightforward chat about what you're working on and whether I can help.
