Hello
Hello
You have stuff to do and things to solve.
SIMPLEXITY can help with that!
We get our greatest joy through building strong, trusting relationships that help reveal a richer understanding of your context. We're passionate about getting 'under the hood' of a problem to help understand where you are now, how you got there, and what we can all learn to better shape the future.
What we do
We have a range of skills and expertise with a strong focus on your purpose, your relationships and solutions that move you forward. Here's some of ours:
1
Gap / strength analysis & issues identification
Your stakeholders might appreciate impartial 'ears' - allowing us to reveal the real issues and opportunities. We anchor feedback to purpose and help define who is responsible for what.
2
Risk management / business success
Strengthening business performance by focusing on what needs to go right (rather than wrong), considering the options available (through scenario thinking), and how to keep on top of a changing context. Its risk management - but keeping your eye on the prize, not the heat map!
3
Planning / contingency scenarios
Rehearsing possible futures and building plans to help guide decision making in a disruption - you know what they say; the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome!
4
Emergency / strategic crisis management
Shaping your strategic arrangements and capabilities that help maintain successful outcomes ahead of a crisis. Less 'ambulance at the bottom of the cliff' - more building a fence at the top.
5
Reviews / assessment / assurance
Your rear view mirror - 'snap shot' performance or programme assessments that help define future actions and support your continuous improvement journey.
6
Governance / stakeholder engagement / project managment / risk reviews
Strengthening governance and leadership practice by understanding roles and responsibilities, examining performance, and making choices that prioritise efforts to deliver value. Stakeholder engagement is our thing - we weave that into all that we do.
Who we are
We have 25+ years' experience supporting local, regional, and central government entities (both in New Zealand and the UK); and small, medium, and larger businesses – predominantly joining seemingly unconnected workstreams to enable better outcomes and anchoring deliverables to purpose.
We deeply understand the consequences of a crisis and have a focus on what's needed before, during and after a disruption or emergency. We support strategic decision-making that enables capabilities, collaboration, planning and communication to be in place ahead of time - helping minimise any cascading effects on your business, your staff, and your stakeholders or communities.
We take a modern perspective on risk management - focusing more on engineering better chances of success than building heat maps and lists of 'scary things'. Much more of a 'department of paying attention' to notice collectively any emerging threats to your organisation, and help you focus on what you might do about them. From a governance perspective we've managed meeting processes, been a Board advisor, and been in the governance/Board hotseat - so we can look at your governance challenges from all angles.
We have many years of experience illiciting information from stakeholders, bringing impartiality and confidentiality to the table - your stakeholders might share things with us that they aren’t so comfortable sharing directly with you. Synthesising that intelligence, we are able to support you identifying areas for improvement that bring greater customer satisfaction and engagement with your programmes of work.
Jane Röllin | Director, Simplexity
I'm a connector by nature, with highly practiced relationship management skills gained at an executive and governance level.
I have over 20 years’ experience managing complex by encouraging strategic thinking and planning, building capability, and spotting opportunities to join the dots and make things simpler. I have a range of practical experiences gained at an executive and governance level including making better decisions (with risks in mind); anchoring delivery to purpose, goals, and objectives; governance process and practice; crisis and emergency management, and gap analysis, review and continuous improvement. I balance these experiences with adaptive engagement approaches that include strong self-reflection; application of emotional and cultural intelligence; managing relationships through kindness; natural curiosity, and strong influencing / negotiation skills that allow others to flourish.
My joy comes from building strong and trusting relationships that help reveal a richer understanding of context. Although my CV is a bit of a car crash of experiences, they are rooted in strengthening all aspects of organisational resilience - from better decision making (managing risk); ensuring appropriate plans and contingencies are in place, and supporting quick management of cascading impacts during a crisis. I have a passion for ‘getting under the hood’ of a problem to help better understand ‘how we got here’, and what we might learn from our actions.
Skill Summary:
- Highly skilled connector & relationship manager.
- Practiced governance champion and director.
- Skilled in areas of performance evaluation; assessment, managing risk.
- Defines purpose and aligns actions to that purpose.
- Focus on context & potential impacts within decision making.
- Highly practiced and skilled in crisis / emergency management and the value of resilience within business planning.
Jane is an Affiliate Member of Governance New Zealand and of the international body - The Chartered Governance Institute. Jane is the Deputy Chair of the Board of Amplify (Enterprise Great Lake Taupo), a Board Member of the Board of the American Foul Brood Pest Management Agency, and the former Chair of the Board of RiskNZ.
Malinda 'Mel' Meads | Principal Consultant, Simplexity
I’m an experienced strategic and technical relationship manager; and problem solver. I have over 17 years experience as an emergency management specialist and have worked across a number of sectors in New Zealand, often in high-pressure environments. I have developed a robust skill-set across the spectrum of emergency management to become a Subject-Matter-Expert in multi-agency settings.
I have managed people, resources and product output. I rely on team-work and outstanding communication to ensure the quality of product; and I take pride in my ability to lead in balance with the needs of all involved. My engagement and relationship management skills are intrinsic to my work and I apply social, political and cultural considerations in my approach.
My ‘why’ is being able to support others with meaningful, realistic risk-based solutions based on experience. I enjoy solving complex problems to provide outcomes tailored to organisation capability.
Skill Summary:
- Strategic and technical relationship management; and stakeholder engagement.
- Project management of complex projects.
- Capability assessment and review.
- Plan development and research at multiple levels to support capability.
- Exercise design and management.
- Experience in event response at local, regional and national levels.
Malinda has worked at national, regional and local levels in the emergency management system in New Zealand. Prior to her move to New Zealand, Malinda served 14 years in the Australian Regular Army. Malinda has Certification with the Business Continuity Institute and a Masters (Emergency Management) with Distinction, from Massey University, New Zealand.
Partners
Mark Constable | Independent Consultant, Maelstrom Consulting
With over 20 years experience in emergency management and business continuity, Maelstrom Consulting is extremely well placed to deliver proven and effective solutions for all your emergency management and business continuity needs. When you seek excellence, experience and a proven track record, Maelstrom Consulting will deliver.
Mark’s skills and experiences include:
- Thirty years’ experience across emergency management and business continuity in Australia and New Zealand. Experience in continuity planning and emergency procedures design and training across the emergency services, central and local Government, and the private sector.
- Experience in developing and crisis management teams and business continuity management systems. Masters in Community Development (Emergency Management)
- Associate Member of the Business Continuity Institute. | Member of the Australasian Institute of Emergency Services.
Sandra James | Director, Connecting People
Sandra James is the lead consultant at Connecting People – she is passionate about building resilience in communities and systems so that people can face the inevitable shocks and stressors that live throws at us. She has over 25 years’ experience in the local and central government and the community sector including extensive experience in Emergency Management at both strategic and operational levels.
Sandra’s skills and experiences are in:
- CDEM welfare/social recovery planning and implementation – developing strategies, plans, tools, and frameworks to help Regional/Local CDEM prepare, respond, and recover from emergencies
- community development/resilience building– working with a diverse range of groups/organisations to bring people together to develop plans and build strong, resilient communities
- innovative community engagement – designing and delivering innovative and authentic community/stakeholder engagement that guarantees genuine voices are heard to inform good local/regional/national decision making
- fostering collaboration/relationship building –connecting people to reduce duplication and ensure the best use of resources
- strategic and operational planning – developing clear and pragmatic strategies and plans that get results
- action research – understanding and documenting trends, issues and needs and making recommendations
- project management/special projects
- developing resources, systems, processes, and procedures; and delivering training, mentoring and coaching
Sandra worked in Local Government roles for 19 years including in a senior role leading a team whose focus was on developing collaborative plans, securing resources, and supporting the implementation of quality programmes and projects with communities. After the earthquakes in greater Christchurch in 2010 Sandra was appointed as Social Recovery Manager for the Waimakariri district. She developed and implemented a community-focused ‘social’ recovery model, which has gained national and international recognition. She was also the Recovery Programmes Manager at the New Zealand Red Cross overseeing the implementation of the recovery projects for the greater Christchurch region. Sandra has worked with many CDEM Groups and Local CDEM teams throughout Aotearoa to develop resources, deliver training and plan good community engagement.
Since 2014 Sandra has worked as an independent contractor working with organisations and communities all over Aotearoa leading community engagement projects, developing plans and strategies, developing, and implementing programmes, developing tools, resources, providing training and coaching, and leading action research projects.
Contact Us
If you think we might be able to help, please reach out to arrange a virtual or in-person coffee.
