Who Is Synthesize Consultancy?

Directors

Synthesize Consultancy was established in 2009 by Marsha Sheridan and Hayley Dean. Both senior consultants and past board members felt that their complimentary skills and experience provided an opportunity to fill unmet needs in the disability services industry.

Marsha Sheridan
Marsha is a senior practitioner in the disability services industry with an extensive network of key influencers.. Throughout her 26 years experience in leading Disability Services; 18 years as a senior manager in the industry, Marsha has been responsible for transforming services and service systems to better meet the needs of people with disabilities and their carers through a strong focus on understanding and responding to the aspirations and requirements of the individuals who will benefit from those services.

Marsha’s first success in growth and development occurred when she took on the Executive Officer role with Interchange, growing that vital service from six regional services to cover all regional areas. At Yooralla, she was initially responsible for redeveloping and then growing residential and carer support services, expanding service options and scope, enabling more individuals, with the widest range of needs, to receive the support they require in the way they choose. This was set within a framework of efficient, accountable and responsible financial management.

Most recently, Marsha has been responsible for the planning and development of organisational strategy, quality, risk management and policy. She has been an active member of government and industry steering and reference groups at the state and national level enabling a significant impact on social policy design and development.

She is a former board member of CIDA and RAPID and is the Chairperson for the NDS National Workforce Committee. chaired national committees such as the National Workforce.

Her skills extend to broad strategic and operational leadership and management of a diverse range of services combined with an in depth knowledge of government policy and funding as well as workforce development challenges. Marsha excels at influencing and managing key stakeholder relationships

She holds a B.A (Psychology) and an MA, Business Administration.

Hayley Dean
Hayley brings more than 20 years of experience ranging from the disability, aged care and community health sectors to a global corporate environment with over 5000 employees across 40 countries. The binding commonality is her client driven focus and her ability to work across all levels of both government and organisations to achieve the best possible outcomes.

Her breadth of skills have enabled leading organisations through complex change and growth to working on the “Great People” strategy achieving a “top ten workplace” in Europe

Hayley is passionate about the effective implementation of human rights as the framework for service delivery, evidenced by her commitment to person centred approaches across the human services sector. Recently providing extensive consultancy services to disability community service organisations including learning and development programs in person centred approaches, cultural change, leadership and mentoring and coaching

Throughout the projects she has undertaken she has developed and implemented a diverse range of successful support models whereby the client is always in the “drivers seat”. Her experience extends to corporate governance having been on the board at Atronic Australia for a number of years.

Tertiary qualifications include a B.A. Hons. (Psychology and Disability).