Team Profiles

Find out more about our team members

Sally Clifford

Managing Director and Principle Consultant

Sally brings over 25 years experience in program and organisational leadership, including service as a CEO of two non-profit organisations. She specialises in working with Aboriginal organisations, small to medium non-profits, and start-ups to build sustainable and impactful organisations across diverse community focused sectors.

Experience & Expertise

Sally has led and delivered a wide range of consulting projects, from multi-site, multi-year sector development initiatives and government evaluations to business reviews and program evaluations across multiple sectors. She has extensive experience leading capacity-building projects for community-based non-profits, strengthening governance, strategic planning, and business capability to better serve their communities.

She has a particular interest in working with Aboriginal corporations and their Boards to build confidence and capability in governance and financial literacy. Much of this work is undertaken in remote contexts and requires strong cultural competence, co-facilitation with interpreters, and the use of visual and accessible communication tools.

Special Skills

  • Group facilitation

  • Strategic and business planning

  • Community consultation and engagement

  • Organisational reviews and analysis

  • Board governance and senior leadership coaching

Qualifications

  • Master of Business Administration, University of New South Wales (AGSM)

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Business (Non-Profit and Philanthropy), Queensland University of Technology

  • Master of Arts (Arts in Healthcare), Queensland University of Technology

  • Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Queensland University of Technology

  • Deep Democracy Facilitation Level 1, Australian Human Resources Institute

Approach & Ways of Working

An experienced facilitator of both large and small groups, Sally is trained in a range of facilitation approaches. With a background in theatre, she uses participatory methods to increase engagement and energy and brings warmth and humour to navigating complex or challenging conversations.

Fun Fact “ I am something of a dedicated vanilla slice connoisseur and have a great recipe if you live remotely and minimal access to ingredients! “

Kate Horsey

Senior Consultant

Kate is an experienced consultant, trainer, and facilitator with expertise in strategic human resources, recruitment, facilitation, and business development. She has worked across a wide range of sectors, including non-profits, hospitality, financial services, research, government, and start-ups.

Experience & Expertise

Drawing on strong cross-sector experience, Kate is skilled at translating complex organisational challenges into practical, tailored solutions. Her work focuses on using simple, effective tools and processes to build organisational capability, support goal achievement, and deliver measurable results.

As a senior HR leader, she has led change initiatives that improve staff attraction and retention and position organisations as employers of choice. Her recruitment experience spans executive and specialist roles through to high-volume recruitment for new and growing businesses.

Special Skills

  • Strategic human resources

  • Training and facilitation

  • Recruitment and talent management

  • Client relationship management

Approach & Ways of Working

Kate brings a collaborative and solutions-focused approach to her work, building strong relationships with clients and teams. She combines strategic insight with practical delivery, supporting organisations to strengthen people systems while maintaining momentum and quality.

At Matrix, she works closely with the team and clients to deliver projects, maintain quality systems, and support business development activities.

Qualifications

  • Graduate Diploma of Social Administration (Community Development), University of Queensland

  • Graduate Diploma of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Swinburne University

  • Bachelor of Design Studies (Architecture), University of Queensland

Fun Fact “ My relaxation comes from hand carving small wooden objects “

Lindsay Ingamells

Quality Manager

With 25 years’ experience across training, quality compliance, consulting, and project management, Lindsay brings strong expertise in quality systems, audit, and operational delivery within consulting and training environments. Her experience spans projects across community services, emergency relief, education, and travel and hospitality sectors.

Experience & Expertise

Lindsay has gained extensive experience as a quality and compliance manager and auditor in the vocational training sector and as a project manager working within consulting and training businesses. This includes supporting organisations to meet regulatory and quality requirements while delivering complex projects efficiently and consistently.

At Matrix, Lindsay manages our quality compliance, training projects, and consulting delivery and administration logistics. Her project experience includes implementing and managing online training platforms, developing online training courses, and coordinating the rollout of regional and national training programs.

Special Skills

  • Organisational systems and logistics management

  • Training project coordination and implementation

  • Learning Management System implementation

  • Quality compliance and audit

Approach & Ways of Working

A highly organised and detail-oriented approach underpins all work, with a strong focus on planning, consistency, and practical implementation. This ensures quality standards are maintained while supporting smooth project delivery across multiple workstreams.

Qualifications

  • HND Environmental Science, Teesside University

  • Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Ecology, University of Leeds

  • Certificate IV in Business Administration, Planpower Training Solutions

  • Diploma of Project Management, Australian College of Project Management

Fun Fact “ I have a side-hustle as a pet sitter which takes me lots of different places “

Nerida Nettelbeck

Senior Associate

Nerida is an accomplished business executive with over 25 years’ management and leadership experience in the non-profit and social enterprise sectors. She brings expertise across a wide range of organisations, with a focus on social justice, Aboriginal governance and empowerment, international development, and social enterprise.

Experience & Expertise

During her time at Matrix Board, Nerida has supported numerous organisations to strengthen governance and leadership capability. She has designed and delivered bespoke workshops to empower Boards to adopt and embed good governance practices.

Nerida also has extensive experience in the management, governance, and evaluation of community-based businesses. She spent over a decade working with people with disabilities, developing innovative social enterprises that created new market economies and meaningful employment opportunities. Her areas of expertise include governance, strategic planning, financial management, and the implementation of new business systems.

Special Skills

  • Social enterprise development

  • Governance and Board capability

  • Facilitation

  • Business and financial management

Approach & Ways of Working

Nerida applies a practical, values-driven approach, combining strong governance principles with facilitation methods that build confidence, capability, and shared understanding among Boards and executive teams.

Qualifications

  • Graduate Diploma of Business (Organisational Change and Development), RMIT University

  • Graduate Diploma of Business (Accounting), Deakin University

  • Bachelor of Economics, Monash University

  • Deep Democracy Facilitation – Levels 1 and 2

Fun Fact My favourite quote is from Nelson Mandela - “I never lose, I either win or learn”

Felicity Blackadder

Senior Associate

Felicity is an experienced HR professional and consultant with extensive expertise in strategic and operational human resources. She has worked across senior HR management and generalist roles in employment and community services, state and local government, and the hospitality industry, as well as consulting to non-profit organisations including Aboriginal corporations, community and disability services, arts and culture, and allied health.

Experience & Expertise

She specialises in partnering with organisations to deliver high-quality, best-practice talent management solutions. Her experience spans the full range of HR functions, including recruitment and retention, employee engagement, learning and development, performance management, industrial relations, workforce planning, leadership development, remuneration, conflict resolution, and organisational cultural change.

As a consultant, she supports non-profit organisations to strengthen HR systems, build organisational capability, and achieve measurable outcomes through practical and tailored HR solutions.

Special Skills

  • Strategic and operational HR management

  • Industrial relations and people management

  • Facilitation and training

Approach & Ways of Working

Felicity takes a collaborative, solutions-focused approach, combining strategic insight with operational expertise. She works closely with leaders and teams to implement sustainable HR practices that drive engagement, performance, and organisational growth.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Business (Business Medalist), Griffith University

  • Master of Human Resource Management, Griffith University

  • Certified HR Practitioner, Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI)

Fun Fact “ I never travel without a lemon juicer. “

Jude Ellen

Consultant

Jude is a strategic advisor and business analyst who works at the intersection of systems, people, and place. Trained in economics, public health, and contemporary management practice, she brings a grounded understanding of how organisational and systemic decisions play out in real community contexts.

Experience & Expertise

Deeply attuned to the Northern Territory, its communities, economy, environments, and socio-political realities, Jude approaches her work with awareness of both the resilience and the challenges that organisations and communities navigate. She combines rigorous analysis and creative strategic thinking with practical facilitation and implementation skills.

Her work often focuses on organisational viability, impact, and readiness, including attention to people’s wellbeing, the careful and effective use of technology, performance measurement, and delivering targeted feedback to support sound, human-centred decision-making in complex settings.

Special Skills

  • Sense-making in complex systems

  • Care-led work with people and organisational systems

  • Data- and evidence-informed insights and feedback

  • Shaping organisational fit, viability, and next steps

Approach & Ways of Working

Jude applies a sense-making and care-led approach to working with organisations and systems, integrating evidence-based insights with practical recommendations. She focuses on shaping fit, viability, and actionable next steps while balancing systemic complexity with the needs of people and communities.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Economics (Hons), University of Sydney

  • Master of Public Health, University of Sydney

  • Senior Executive Program, Melbourne Business School

Fun Fact “ In another life, I’m fairly sure I was a green tree frog — happiest listening, observing, and knowing when to leap. “

Fiona Pemberton

Consultant

Fiona is a community development specialist with extensive experience living and working in remote Aboriginal communities across South Australia and Western Australia. She leads initiatives that foster empowerment, community-driven growth, and the development of local leaders to create healthier, more resilient communities.

Experience & Expertise

With over 20 years in executive roles managing diverse and complex programs in high-pressure environments, Fiona has developed deep knowledge of the structures and systemic challenges faced by remote communities. She has expertise in program development, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement, and is highly skilled at balancing cross-cultural communication, organisational governance, and compliance while driving strategic initiatives.

Special Skills

  • Strengthening organisational governance to empower Boards

  • Community leadership development

  • Cross-cultural stakeholder engagement

  • Program development and strategic implementation

Approach & Ways of Working

Fiona applies a collaborative and community-centred approach, working closely with elders, leaders, and organisations to strengthen governance, build local capacity, and enable community-led solutions. She focuses on fostering sustainable, resilient communities through practical and culturally aware strategies.

Qualifications

  • Master of Arts – International and Community Development, Deakin University

  • Graduate Diploma – International and Community Development, Deakin University

  • Bachelor of Arts – Politics & Development Studies, Flinders University

Fun Fact “ When I'm not at work, you'll find me either on the squash court or in my studio, focused on my latest mosaic. “

Rachael Sutton

Consultant

Rachael is an experienced leader, manager, and communicator who brings clarity, insight, and dedication to consultation and research. Her anthropological background provides a deep focus on the stories that connect people and communities over time, along with a strong sensitivity to diversity and cross-cultural communication.

Experience & Expertise

Much of Rachael’s work focuses on governance with not-for-profit and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, as well as cultural heritage protection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and corporations. She combines research, consultation, and facilitation skills to support organisations in embedding good governance and culturally informed practices.

Special Skills

  • Governance

  • Research

  • Community consultation

Approach & Ways of Working

Rachael applies a collaborative and culturally aware approach, ensuring that research, consultation, and governance initiatives respect community knowledge, traditions, and aspirations. She values participatory methods that foster trust, engagement, and shared understanding.

Qualifications

  • Honours in Anthropology, Deakin University

  • Bachelor of Arts (Anthropology and Sociology), Deakin University

  • Member, Australian Anthropological Society

Fun Fact “ My favourite way to see the world is on two wheels. “

Lukas Blom

Consultant

Lukas is an executive leader and operator with deep experience in Central Australia across not-for-profit, health, and government environments. Based in Alice Springs, he focuses on the workforce, governance, and digital systems that make community-focused organisations run.

Experience & Expertise

Lukas's work typically sits at the intersection of people, process, risk, and systems. He specialises in helping organisations stabilise operations, improve governance and compliance, strengthen workforce systems, and deliver practical transformation that sticks - translating strategy into repeatable operating rhythms, clear accountabilities, and defensible documentation in high-scrutiny settings.

His sector experience spans disability advocacy, Aboriginal community-controlled health, mental health and alcohol and other drugs. Recent projects include multi-site payroll transformation across remote sites, NDIS supported independent living roster optimisation, HRIS implementation, and whole organisation restructure and employee lifecycle redesigns. 

Special Skills

  • Operations and workforce systems design

  • Payroll, HRIS, and rostering implementation Skill 

  • Industrial relations, governance, and contract risk review

  • AI policy and tooling for community sector organisations

Approach & Ways of Working

Lukas works best in environments that are complex and operationally demanding - multi-site or 24/7 service delivery, regulated sectors, tight labour markets - where leaders need real structure, not theory. He takes a hands-on, capacity-building approach, sitting alongside teams to design systems the organisation can run itself once he leaves. His delivery is direct and pragmatic, grounded in the realities of remote service delivery and the cross-cultural contexts of working on Arrernte country.

Qualifications

  • Master of Business Administration, Deakin University

  • Graduate Certificate in Public Accounting, Institute of Public Accountants

  • Bachelor of Commerce and Accounting, Deakin University

  • Bachelor of Property and Real Estate, Deakin University

Fun Fact‍ ‍"I once drove five hours to Tennant Creek for a pie and would do it again without hesitation."

Peter Shepherd

Consultant

Peter has lived and worked across the Kimberley and Top End of the Northern Territory for over 30 years, including time in Indigenous communities, small towns, and Darwin. He applies community development principles and a person-centred approach to support sustainable, integrated growth for individuals, organisations, and communities.

Experience & Expertise

Peter has delivered strategic planning and tailored support to more than 1,600 businesses of all types and sizes across Northern Territory and Western Australia. His work includes initiatives that promote economic development and independence for Indigenous individuals and communities.

He also has extensive experience working with industry associations and not-for-profit organisations throughout the Northern Territory, providing strategic mentoring and advisory support to peak organisations.

Special Skills:

  • Strategic planning and implementation

  • Community and economic development

  • Organisational capacity building

Approach & Ways of Working

Peter takes a collaborative, practical, and community-focused approach, helping organisations implement strategies that strengthen capacity, improve outcomes, and foster long-term sustainability.

Emma Kelly

Consultant

Emma is an experienced executive with extensive knowledge of working with Indigenous Australians in remote communities across the Northern Territory. She has led large operational teams across vast geographical areas and overseen the design, implementation, and management of numerous programs delivering high-quality outcomes for Indigenous communities.

Experience & Expertise

Emma specialises in government policy, program design, and advocacy, with a strong focus on cross-cultural engagement and community-led co-design. She has developed expertise across corporate governance, workforce development, youth and community engagement, registered training organisations, and economic development initiatives.

Her work combines strategic leadership with practical implementation, ensuring programs are effective, culturally appropriate, and sustainable.

Special Skills:

  • Indigenous program design and delivery

  • Cross-cultural engagement and community-led co-design

  • Governance and workforce development

  • Policy and advocacy

Approach & Ways of Working

Emma applies a collaborative and culturally aware approach, partnering with communities and stakeholders to co-design initiatives that strengthen organisational capacity and deliver tangible community benefits.

Qualifications:

  • Master of Human Rights, Curtin University

  • Bachelor of Humanities, Curtin University

  • Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors

Kaitlyn Gordon

Instructional Design Consultant

Kaitlyn is a highly experienced instructional designer and learning experience specialist with more than 15 years' experience developing innovative digital learning solutions across government, industry and the not-for-profit sector. She is passionate about creating practical, accessible and engaging learning experiences that build capability and support meaningful organisational outcomes.

Experience & Expertise

Kaitlyn has extensive experience designing online learning, leadership development, technical training, onboarding and organisational change programs. She combines instructional design, user experience principles, accessibility and multimedia design to create learner-centred solutions that make complex information easy to understand and apply.

As a proud First Nations professional, Kaitlyn brings a collaborative, relationship-focused approach to every project. She enjoys working closely with clients and subject matter experts to develop culturally responsive learning experiences that meet the needs of diverse audiences.

Special Skills:

  • Instructional design and learning experience design

  • Online learning and e-learning development

  • Accessibility and inclusive learning design

  • AI-enabled learning solutions

  • Learning strategy and curriculum development

  • Stakeholder engagement and co-design

  • Graphic design, video production and multimedia learning

Approach & Ways of Working

Kaitlyn combines instructional design expertise with strong visual communication and user experience skills to create learning that is engaging, intuitive and delivers measurable outcomes. Whether designing a single online module or a large-scale learning program, she focuses on developing flexible, future-ready learning solutions that support both organisational objectives and positive learner experiences.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Business (Organisational Capability)

  • BGraduate Diploma of Digital Product Management & Design (UX/UI) (Current)

  • Diploma of Digital Learning

  • Diploma of Graphic Design

  • Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

  • Professional certifications in Agile (PSM I and PSPO I)

Veronica Budnikas

Consultant

Veronica is an experienced instructional designer, eLearning developer and project manager who has worked across online learning for more than two decades. She creates learning for government, health, education, community and corporate organisations, combining strong instructional design skills with advanced technical expertise to produce creative, polished and highly interactive learning experiences.

Experience & Expertise

Veronica has designed and developed learning programs across mental health and suicide prevention, child and family services, professional education, workplace safety, leadership, induction and regulatory compliance. Her work includes interactive online courses, branching scenarios, software simulations, animated videos and gamified learning activities.

An advanced Articulate Storyline developer, Veronica can manage the complete eLearning production process—from scoping and storyboarding through to development, testing and final delivery. She works closely with clients and subject matter experts to turn detailed or technical content into clear, practical learning that holds the learner’s attention.

Special Skills:

  • Instructional design and eLearning development

  • Advanced Articulate Storyline and Articulate 360 development

  • Interactive scenarios and software simulations

  • Game-based learning and gamification

  • Animated video and multimedia development

  • Storyboarding and high-quality learning content

  • Project management and end-to-end production

  • Articulate Storyline training

Approach & Ways of Working

Veronica brings creativity, curiosity and careful attention to detail to her work. She is a practical problem-solver who enjoys finding the right combination of structure, storytelling, interaction and visual design for each learning challenge. Comfortable working independently or as part of a project team, Veronica manages projects carefully and maintains a strong focus on quality throughout development.

Qualifications:

  • Master of Online Education—High Distinction and Dean’s Commendation for Outstanding Achievement

  • Bachelor of Legal Translation (English–Spanish)

  • Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

  • Articulate Storyline trainer, beta tester and recognised Articulate Super Hero