Stakeholder Management

Exceptional stakeholder management builds trust and alignment by understanding individual and group interests, influence, and expectations. It combines strategic communication, empathy, and proactive engagement to ensure project goals support broader organisational objectives. By fostering transparency, resolving conflicts early, and adapting to diverse audiences, stakeholder managers create collaborative environments where all parties feel informed, valued, and invested in success.

Experience

Academic Foundation – PgDip & MBA

Studied stakeholder theory extensively during my Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies and MBA, focusing on influence mapping and communication frameworks. Applied Dragan Milosevic’s Stakeholder Influence Grid as a core tool — recognising its value is only as strong as the data behind it.

Macquarie Group – High-Impact Stakeholder Alignment

Established fortnightly one-to-one sessions with the most influential stakeholders to maintain visibility and trust. Systematically moved all high-influence stakeholders from ‘concerned’ to ‘comfortable’ or ‘delighted’, ensuring sustained support across complex integration and analytics projects.

Greencross Vets – “No Surprises” Governance

Implemented a ‘no surprises’ approach for board and executive reporting. All materials were pre-socialised, contentious items resolved in one-to-one pre-briefs, and mitigation plans agreed in advance. Result: 100% board paper approval on first submission across multiple programmes.

Daily Practice – Relationship-Led Intelligence

Maintain a discipline of one stakeholder coffee per day to expand and enrich the influence map. Leverage existing relationships to access new stakeholders, ensuring the Stakeholder Influence Grid remains accurate, current, and actionable.

Approach

I empathise deeply with stakeholder accountabilities and pain points. My goal is not just to manage expectations — but to make their lives better by removing friction, reducing risk, and delivering outcomes that strengthen their position within the organisation.

Credentials

• Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Reference

Milosevic, D. Z. (2003). *Project Management ToolBox*, John Wiley & Sons, p. 77.

Related Skills

• Stakeholder Management
• Facilitation
• Programme Management

Contact

Connect on LinkedIn to discuss stakeholder engagement strategies.