Helping organisations navigate the intersection of business strategy, people & culture, and risk & governance.
About me...
A seasoned C-suite executive with more than 20 years’ experience in global leadership roles across mining, manufacturing, engineering and construction.
As an Economist and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, I bring extensive experience working with Boards and Executive Teams to create alignment, navigate complexity and translate strategic ambition into practical, sustainable outcomes.
Throughout my career, one clear organisational principle has remained at the heart of my approach: strategy sets the direction, people create the momentum, culture drives the rhythm, and governance keeps you on course.
Biography
Steve Collett is a seasoned C-suite executive with more than 20 years’ global leadership experience across mining, manufacturing, engineering and construction. His career has spanned strategy, people & culture, organisational transformation, risk and governance, giving him a distinctive ability to connect business strategy with the organisational capabilities required to deliver it.
Steve has a strong track record of leading complex, large-scale transformation programs, including with global mining services, chemicals and manufacturing company Orica Ltd and mining, engineering and infrastructure group Aveng Ltd, the listed parent of McConnell Dowell Corporation Ltd.
His work has focused on strengthening organisational performance by aligning capability and operating models with business strategy, improving decision-making and workflow efficiency, reducing duplication, standardising systems and building cultures of ownership and accountability. His international experience includes leadership roles across Australia, Africa, Latin America and South East Asia.
In 2023, Steve was appointed to a unique combined executive portfolio as Chief Strategy Officer, Chief People Officer and Chief Risk Officer for Aveng Ltd. He led the Group’s Strategy & Planning, Marketing, Communications, Human Resources and Risk Management functions across Africa, Australia and Asia Pacific.
Steve also served as an Executive Director of several of Aveng’s major subsidiaries, including McConnell Dowell Corporation Ltd and McConnell Dowell South East Asia Pte Ltd.
Previously, as Executive General Manager People and Group Strategy at McConnell Dowell, Steve developed the Group’s Horizon 2030 strategy — a ten-year business plan designed to strengthen strategic differentiation through specialist services and construction capability in the highly competitive Australasian engineering and construction market.
Steve’s business-centric approach to strategy and people was grounded in his academic background, graduating with Honours in Economics from the University of Western Australia, with a double major in Economics and Industrial Relations.
Today, through Collett Advisory, Steve brings this combination of strategic, organisational and executive experience to organisations seeking to navigate the intersection of business strategy, people & culture, and risk & governance.
Outside his professional career, Steve is an accomplished musician and writer.
Sectors & Services
Who I work with
Private equity firms seeking to optimise an acquisition and unlock organisational performance
Established businesses looking to transform for growth, resilience or competitive advantage
Start-ups wanting to build the right organisational foundations from the outset
NFPs seeking to better align their organisation, people and capabilities with their mission and purpose
What I can help with
Strategy & organisational transformation — translating strategic priorities into effective operating models and actionable plans
People & capability — aligning talent, succession and leadership capability with business objectives
Culture & accountability — creating clarity of roles, purpose, ownership and the behaviours needed to deliver
Risk & governance — strengthening organisational risk management, governance frameworks and decision-making
How I can work with you
Strategic Advisory
Consulting — targeted advice and hands-on support to address specific strategic or organisational challenges
Board & governance — NED and board advisory roles across corporate and NFP organisations.
Interim and fractional executive assignments
Interim executive — experienced leadership capability when you need it, for as long as you need it
Fractional advisory — ongoing access to senior executive expertise without the commitment of a full-time role