Mia Swainson Consulting works with exceptional leaders who are passionate about making the world a better place. Mia and her team support public and non-profit organisations to be clear about their purpose, their impact and to resolve conflict. The mission for Mia Swainson Consulting is to support people and organisations make the big decisions that matter.
Mia Swainson Consulting provides high quality strategy, facilitation, executive coaching and stakeholder engagement services. In all that she delivers, Mia and her team take a strategic, action oriented and collaborative approach.
Our team
Mia Swainson is a successful entrepreneur and dynamic presenter dedicated to creating social and environmental change. As Managing Director of Mia Swainson Consulting, Mia brings 20 years of experience in government, politics, international development and the non-profit sector to her consultancy practice. Prior to establishing her consultancy, Mia led complex, successful stakeholder engagement programs in water, agriculture and climate change sectors. She has also navigated the web of political party politics through a successful Australia-wide election campaign. Internationally, Mia’s experiences include community development, peacebuilding, monitoring and evaluation in both Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Dr Greg Terrill brings more than 12 years’ experience as Senior Executive in the Australian Public Service. He has been CEO of the peak business group in Solomon Islands and has worked extensively with local people and governments in Papua New Guinea. Greg’s current roles include Chair, EcoCommons Advisory Board and independent reviewer of the Australian Government’s National Environment Science Program.
Julie Boulton is an experienced facilitator and strategist. She brings more than 14 years’ experience working in international contexts for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Monash Sustainable Development Institute. Julie has experience supporting diverse groups of people committing to a common purpose.
Ian Higginbottom, Senior Consultant and Executive Coach, is an empowering, action-focused facilitator, team builder and executive coach. Ian brings 30 years’ experience as a successful software entrepreneur and Antarctic scientist to his deep understanding of team relationships and high performance.
Melanie Gibbons is a career communications professional who is passionate about working with organisations to effectively engage staff and stakeholders. Melanie uses her well-honed communications skills to gather information and facilitate active conversations. As a trained facilitator, she has led small intimate team-based conversations for eight people to large whole day workshops for hundreds of people. Melanie is also a trained facilitator and has led staff and stakeholder workshops ranging from small intimate team-based conversations to whole-day conferences for hundreds of people.
Our clients
- Parks Australia: Performance Criteria Review and Leadership Forum
- Australian Council for International Development
- YMCA Canberra: Strategic planning
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Behavioural Economics Branch: Business planning
- ACT Government, Policy and Cabinet Division: Strategic planning
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Indigenous Affairs Group, Information and Evaluation Branch: Strategic and Business planning process
- Australian Government, Clean Energy Regulator, Small Scale Renewable Energy and Compliance Branch: Business planning
- Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure, National Water Grid Authority: Business Planning
- Australian Government, Department of Human Services, Fraud Division: Business Planning and team building
- ACT Government, Whole of Government Communications and Engagement: Strategic and Business Planning
- ACT Legislative Assembly, Ministerial office team: Team building
- Australian Government, Clean Energy Regulator, Communications team: Team building in a change context
- Canberra City Uniting Church, Early Morning Centre: Business planning and stakeholder engagement
- CARE Inc.: External Review
- SARRAH Summit: Strategic facilitation
- YWCA Canberra: Strategic facilitation
- Capital Region Community Services: Strategic planning
Environmental and social responsibility
Mia Swainson Consulting gives at least 10% of business time to pro bono or ‘low’ bono clients. In 2018-19, 25% of clients were charged ‘low bono’ rates and 90% of clients were committed to public service, environmental or social benefit. Mia Swainson Consulting is owned by Mia Swainson.
Mia Swainson is President of the Canberra Environment Centre, and a founding member of Canberra’s Zero Waste Revolution. Mia Swainson’s hugely popular 2019 TEDxCanberra Talk on How to Start your Zero Waste Journey launched her onto the Australian speaking circuit.
Mia Swainson Consulting is a business that’s committed to being a force for good. We believe that each person and organisation must be the change that they seek in the world. All business ought to be conducted as if people and place matters. That’s why Mia Swainson Consulting became Canberra’s fourth certified B Corporation, in May 2020.
