As a senior leader with Rowland for several years, Fiona combines the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Director of Training & Development.

Fiona is a natural trainer who translates her rich communication and leadership experience into engaging, practical tools and techniques to help program participants communicate with greater influence. She is highly sought by clients for her positive energy, authentic delivery, and incisive feedback. She is also an expert facilitator, able to cut through complex matters and communicate clearly with a broad range of stakeholders in corporate, government and community settings.

I believe communication is the most vital currency in business.

In her role as leader of Rowland’s Training & Development team, Fiona has developed and implemented tailored training programs for a wide variety of private and public sector organisations. She is a highly experienced trainer and coach, specialising in executive strategy and leadership workshops, how to communicate with greater influence, media training, issues and crisis readiness, and presentation skills. Fiona also specialises in facilitation of focus groups, stakeholder reference groups and executive leadership/management strategy and team off-sites.

Fiona is heavily involved in shaping new communication training offerings and recently developed a program to help aspiring female leaders be more intentional about positioning themselves for success as organisations strive for stronger gender balance within their senior leadership.

Since joining Rowland in 2000, Fiona has also provided community engagement, media and reputation management, marketing, and issues and crisis management support to a broad cross-section of local, national and international organisations, as well as all levels of government.

Her work in this area is complemented by specialist skills in the areas of corporate positioning and strategy, and internal/change communication.

Fiona’s considerable experience lies within the mining, energy and resources sector where she worked on large-scale infrastructure projects across numerous commodity groups including copper, gold, zinc, coal and aluminium. She has provided comprehensive issues management and consultation for a major Queensland coal terminal, and reputation management and strategic advice for numerous international resource companies. Fiona has also provided communication advice to some of Australia’s largest port operators.

Fiona is also a specialist in issues and crisis management, and for more than 20 years has been involved in communication and operational responses to on-site fatalities and injuries, environmental disasters, structural damage, plant closures, product tampering and recalls, industrial action and espionage, questionable commercial practices, and sexual misconduct.

Industry experience

• Mining, energy and resources
• Infrastructure
• Government
• Professional services

Qualifications and professional affiliations

• Bachelor of Arts – Double Major Journalism, The University of Queensland
• Former State Councillor of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (Queensland)