SEC Newgate Australia

Brian is the Managing Partner of SEC Newgate Australia and co-founder of SEC Newgate Research. He is also Deputy Chief Executive of SEC Newgate S.p.A., the parent company of SEC Newgate Australia.

In a consulting career spanning two decades, Brian has come to be regarded as one of Australia’s leading communications practitioners with expertise in strategic issues management, financial transactions, government relations, media management and community campaigning.

Brian has led several high profile and complex public affairs campaigns and financial transactions in the infrastructure, transport, banking, energy, agriculture, arts, media, and sports sectors.

Brian is a Director of AFL Club the Sydney Swans, the Committee for Sydney, SEC Newgate S.p.A and the Clontarf Foundation, which supports educational opportunities for young Indigenous Australians.

Prior to his career in consultancy, Brian was a political adviser to the Greiner Government in New South Wales. He started his career as a journalist with The Land newspaper.

Sue is regarded as one of Australia’s leading market and social researchers. She has more than 25 years’ experience as a market researcher, research buyer and communications consultant in the corporate, financial, issues and political arenas.

Her core expertise is conducting sensitive community and stakeholder research for organisations facing complex issues and working with clients to identify the most effective ways in which to engage and influence. She has recently been sought after as a commentator on community sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sue’s broad experience includes community sentiment towards major infrastructure projects and on key policy issues, stakeholder reputation research for major corporates and government departments and agencies, testing messages and narrative development, retail shareholder research and facilitating deliberative forums and ‘deep-dives’.

Sue is also a Partner of SEC Newgate Communications. She holds a Bachelor degree in Organisational Communication from Charles Sturt University and a Masters in International Communications from Macquarie University. She is a Qualified Professional Researcher (QPR), a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and has the IAP2 Certificate of Engagement.

Fiona is one of Australia’s leading stakeholder and community engagement practitioners, with deep experience gained from over 30 years in planning and communications. Fiona has held executive management positions in major corporates and the public sector.

With science and planning qualifications, she plays a central role in critical infrastructure projects, leading teams working across complex issues. Understanding how to balance competing interests, she is particularly skilled at helping stakeholders working on complex problems in contested environments.

High profile projects include Sydney Metro, the Pacific Highway Upgrade; Sydney motorway network; Lucas Heights Research Reactor; and Sydney’s Second Airport.

Fiona was previously Manager Project Communications at Leighton Contractors and spent eight years as General Manager Infrastructure Communications at NSW Roads & Maritime Service.

She provides communication and engagement training for project managers and has guest lectured at universities. She understands customer focused digital tools and established the NSW Government’s first Digital Panel. Fiona and colleagues established the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) in Australia in 1997.

Erica is a financial and corporate communications practitioner with more than 20 years of experience and an extensive understanding of the financial services sector.

She has worked across both institutional and retail financial environments with core skills in corporate communications, investor relations, financial transactions, media and issues management.

Erica provided strategic advice and support to Square on its acquisition of Afterpay; Resolution Life on its acquisition of both AMP Life and AIA Australia’s Superannuation and Investment business; Crestone’s acquisition by LGT Group; the regional banking merger of Heritage Bank and People’s Choice Credit Union and China Mengniu Dairy on its acquisition of Bellamy’s Organic. She also advised ACCIONA on its acquisition of Lendlease’s Engineering division.

Erica’s extensive media and issues management experience includes working with the ICA on the business interruption matter, CBA on the AUSTRAC matter, and Allianz Australia through the Royal Commission into Banking and Financial Services.

Prior to joining SEC Newgate in 2016, Erica worked at Commonwealth Bank where she had corporate affairs responsibility for the institutional banking and markets business. She also spent five years at UBS where her mandate spanned media relations, issues management and internal communications. Before that Erica worked at Babcock & Brown as investor relations and communications manager where she had responsibility for shareholder, investment community and media communications.

Erica started her communications career working for a global financial and corporate communications consultancy in both London and Australia.

With over 20 years’ experience in strategic communications, working on some of the most challenging briefs in Australia, Feyi is one of the country’s most sought after communications consultants.

Feyi has a deep understanding of the nexus between policy, politics and business having spent 15 years in public affairs including five years in Canberra leading a bi-partisan team of top government relations experts.

Feyi is particularly effective in facilitating successful strategy development processes that map a clear path for clients, be they technology, education, regional sustainability, health, energy infrastructure or finance.

Her counsel is valued by some of Australia’s leading organisations including Google, Bunnings, Officeworks, Uber, CBA, RMIT, Life Without Barriers, the National Farmers Federation, and the federal departments of Health and Ageing, NDIA, Defence, Home Affairs and Education, who look to her for reputational, strategic messaging and engagement counsel around policy, advocacy, effective stakeholder engagement, public affairs and digital communications.

She is a graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, member of the Australian Market & Social Research Society (AMSRS). She sits as the president of the Australian Professional Government Relations Association (APGRA) and on the Board of the International Association of Political Consultants (IAPC).

Lenda established the SEC Newgate Perth office in 2017 and has worked for clients across energy, resources, waste, health, property, government, not-for-profit and defence sectors.

She has experience with developing and implementing business and communications strategies, internal communications, media engagement, crisis communications, social media communications, stakeholder, and community engagement. Lenda has worked at senior levels of government and politics for over a decade in WA and around the country.

Between 2012 and 2017, Lenda held the role of Assistant State Campaign Director of the WA Labor Party and was responsible for state-wide and local campaigns, grassroots organising and training.

From August 2018 to December 2019, Lenda worked on behalf of Dying with Dignity WA to foster political and community support for assisted dying legislation, and ultimately historic legislative change in WA.

Lenda has a deep understanding of public process and has worked across the political spectrum to negotiate and build support for projects and policies.

Lenda is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Board member of Auspire – The Australia Day Council (WA) and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House.

Pete has twenty years’ experience working across Australian politics, communication, technology and business.

Previously Pete oversaw Corporate Affairs & Community and was a member of the Executive Management teams for Woolworths and Snowy Hydro.

In 2016 he founded Commtract Australia’s first marketplace for professional communicators. It now boasts more than 4,000 members and works with many of Australia’s largest companies.

Pete was formerly Chief of Staff to the New South Wales Premier, The Hon. Barry O’Farrell MP. He played an instrumental role in the March 2011 State Election. Pete has also worked as an adviser in the Commonwealth Government and as a Management Consultant.
He has a Masters in Applied Finance from Macquarie University and an Economics Degree (hons) from the University of Queensland. He is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Angus has 25 years’ experience advising non-executive directors and senior executives from corporates and government on the management of complex and high-profile public affairs and reputation issues. He has held senior roles at GrainCorp, Insurance Australia Group and Klarna. As a consultant, he has also advised clients from various sectors including transport, media & communications, sport, childcare, health and energy.

Through these roles he has built his approach on authenticity, clarity and trust. He places a strong emphasis on understanding each brief’s unique circumstances and stakeholders prior to developing and implementing effective campaigns for his clients.
Angus leads SEC Newgate Australia’s ESG practice and was involved in the development and release of our international SEC Newgate ESG Monitor.

He specialises in corporate communications, public affairs, issues and crisis management, internal communications, M&A, demergers and government relations.

In addition, Angus brings a broader perspective, with experience working in disciplines outside corporate affairs / strategic communications, including in operational excellence, change management and small business management.

A foundation partner of SEC Newgate, Jodie has more than 25 years’ experience in communications as a Federal Press Gallery journalist, government adviser and consultant.

She specialises in complex strategic projects for government and corporate clients, focusing on stakeholder and community engagement, crisis and issues management and reputation-related positioning.

Lead partner for SEC Newgate’s transport and infrastructure practice, she has advised on some of Australia’s most significant infrastructure projects including motorways, public transport, defence and urban renewal. She has advised on both sides of PPPs, through all phases including bids, planning, construction and operations.

She works extensively with government agencies managing stakeholder, community and media relationships.

Prior to consultancy, Jodie was a Sydney Morning Herald federal parliamentary press gallery journalist and worked in state government in NSW as a ministerial and departmental adviser.