About.

Our highly experienced team employs multi-disciplinary strategies to stimulate performance levels and change behaviours.

Where required they have the experience and technical expertise to courageously address difficult conversations and advise employers on their rights and obligations when an employee’s exit is the most appropriate path to take.

Our Team

Alasdair Malloch
Consulting Director

[email protected]
Mb: 0431 692 878
 
Alasdair has over 15 years local government experience and has previously been the Human Resource Manager at the City of Subiaco.
Alasdair is a specialist in Industrial Relations and Human Resources with wider skills in business management and entrepreneurialism. Alasdair has a Commerce Degree from UWA and a Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations from UWA.
Alasdair commenced his career in human resources in several construction companies and has since then worked as an industrial inspector for the state government and industrial advocate providing consulting services through several employer associations to the offshore oil and gas industry, mining industry, local government, not-for-profit and small business sectors.
Alasdair has extensive experience in human resources and industrial relations in local governments around WA and the Northern territory. Alasdair has represented many local governments before the various commissions in both enterprise agreement related applications, unfair dismissal hearing, Award variations and industrial action. He has also assisted many with human resource services such as reviews, policy development, workforce planning and recruitment.
Alasdair was the Human Resources Manager at the City of Subiaco for four years between 2012 and 2016, he was also an Employee Relations Advisor for three years with WALGA. He has consulted primarily into the local government industry through Ohura Consulting over ten years. Whilst Alasdair worked with the City of Subiaco he developed their first workforce plan, restructured the organisation when South Ward was transferred to the City of Perth and has done many other workforce plans and restructures since then.
Alasdair's areas of expertise are:
industrial relations,

• human resources,
• workforce development,
• change management and planning in particular strategic downsizing,
• workforce management,
• corporate review and restructuring,
• remuneration,
• negotiation, especially with unions,
• project Management,
• strategic communication,
• business management,
• capital raising, and
• government lobbying.

 

Simon White
Consulting Director

[email protected]
Mb: 0432 215 247
 
Simon is a highly experienced workplace relations, human resources and organisational governance professional with more than 25 years of experience advising organisations across the local government, resources, energy, maritime, emergency services and not-for-profit sectors.
Simon specialises in strategic industrial relations, workforce transformation, organisational reviews, executive employment matters, enterprise bargaining, governance advisory services and leadership development. He is recognised for his ability to provide practical, commercially focused advice on complex workplace issues while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships and organisational outcomes.
Simon commenced his career in employee relations with St John Ambulance WA before joining the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), where he spent more than 12 years advising local governments and public sector organisations throughout Western Australia and the Northern Territory. During this time, he managed a large employee relations and human resources advisory service supporting approximately 140 organisations and more than 14,000 employees.
He has also led numerous organisational reviews, workplace investigations, enterprise bargaining negotiations and executive recruitment processes, including Chief Executive Officer appointments.
Following his time with WALGA, Simon joined the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), where he provided strategic workplace relations advice to major employers operating within the resources, maritime, offshore energy and infrastructure sectors. In this role, he represented clients before industrial tribunals, negotiated enterprise agreements, advised executive leadership teams and delivered specialist training in employee relations, performance management and workplace legislation.
Most recently, Simon held the position of Employee Relations and Industrial Relations Lead with Shell Australia, where he was responsible for industrial relations strategy across major operational assets including Prelude FLNG and the Crux Project. He led complex enterprise agreement negotiations, managed industrial risk, provided strategic workforce advice and supported organisational compliance across highly regulated operational environments.
In addition to his consulting and executive career, Simon has extensive governance experience. Since 2013 he has served as Chair and Director of Gowrie WA and Gowrie Community Services, one of Western Australia's leading early childhood education and community services organisations. Through these roles he has developed significant expertise in governance, strategic planning, organisational sustainability, executive performance management and board leadership.
Simon holds a Master of Human Resource Management from Curtin University and a Bachelor of Business with double majors in Industrial Relations and Management from Edith Cowan University. He is also a qualified Trainer and Assessor and regularly delivers workshops and executive development programs on workplace relations, governance and leadership topics.
Key Areas of Expertise

• Industrial Relations and Employment Law
• Enterprise Bargaining and Union Negotiations
• Workforce Planning and Organisational Design
• Organisational Reviews and Restructuring
• Executive Employment and CEO Recruitment
• Workplace Investigations
• Governance and Board Advisory Services
• Change Management and Workforce Transformation
• Performance Management and Leadership Development
• Remuneration and Classification Systems
• Strategic Human Resources
• Executive Coaching and Stakeholder Engagement  

Callum Malloch-Smith
Consultant

[email protected]
Mb: 0438 902 516
 
Callum has over 12 years’ experience in personnel management with various construction companies throughout WA including United Group, Primero, Cimeco and others. In these roles he has had both management and supporting administrative roles for construction teams and projects.
Callum has been a Consultant with Ohura Consulting for over seven years and has worked on many employment relations and human resources projects. Callum was previously placed at the City of Rockingham as an internal employment relations advisor and currently performs similar roles in other local governments.
Callum’s experience include:

• Development of employment relations advice and human resources advice
• Negotiation with unions
• Performing workplace investigations
• Development of policies and position descriptions
• Performance management coaching and the termination of staff
• Change management implementation
• Consultation with staff over Major Change matters
• Human Resources support to clients
• Negotiation of enterprise agreements

 
Callum has completed a Diploma of Engineering, Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations and holds a Certificate IV in Government Investigations.

Lydia Highfield
Consultant

[email protected]
Mb: 0400 142 110

Lydia is an experienced and senior executive recruitment specialist in the Local Government sector. Her career in recruitment commenced at the WA Local Government Association in August 2003. In May 2020 Lydia commenced her Recruitment Consultancy. 
Since commencing her consultancy Lydia has assisted over 20 (twenty) Local Governments CEO Recruitment Panels/Council’s with the recruitment of Chief Executive Officers. She has built a strong professional reputation in the sector. Lydia operates exceptional due diligence with the recruitment assignments she undertakes, which has resulted in repeat business.
Having worked in the Local Government sector for over 25 years as an HR practitioner, Lydia has advised on a variety of issues, enabling her to gain an in-depth knowledge of the Local Government Act 1995 and associated Local Government (Administration) Regulations 1996.
Further, Lydia conducts a workshop to establish and understand specific capabilities being sought of a new Chief Executive Officer, prior to commencement of the recruitment process and has developed a structured Recruitment and Selection training program for Local Governments and regularly delivers training sessions on-site.
Lydia joined the WA Local Government Association (WAMA) as the Employee Relations Officer in July 2000, supporting Local Governments with the recruitment and selection of their employees as well as assisting with award interpretation, reviewing position classifications, policy application, researching and developing HR guidelines, policies and procedures. 
Lydia worked in executive recruitment for over 15 years and completed many Chief Executive Officer and senior management level executive search, selection and appointment assignments during this time for the Local Government sector in Western Australian and the Northern Territory. 
Lydia established a professional overseas recruitment service whilst at the WA Local Government Association, assisting Local Governments in the recruitment and selection of candidates from overseas and the required liaison with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to achieve visa management responsibilities for the Temporary Business (Long Stay) - Standard Business Sponsorship (Subclass 457), Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 121/856) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 119/857).