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Lead Partners

Nick Northcott

Managing Partner
BSc, BCom, MBA, GAICD, PRIMed

Founding Chrysalis in 2016, Nick is an experienced management consultant and executive with almost 20 years’ experience working with large enterprises, government, private high growth ventures, not for profits and SMEs.

With a diverse commercial, consulting and entrepreneurial background, Nick has a speciality in helping leaders and executives to think strategically, create value and navigate the difficult decisions and choices that inevitably arise during periods of growth and change.

His expertise includes strategic growth and transformation, operational excellence, organisational development & strategic HR, workplace investigations, facilitation & mediation, IP commercialisation, corporate finance and M&A.

Nick has extensive experience in helping boards and executive teams to manage complex and high risk matters and to originate and complete value adding deals, including having raised over $100 million in corporate, venture, grant and philanthropic funding.

Nick has significant experience in the following industries / sectors:
- health, life-sciences and medical devices
- higher education
- research & development
- professional services
- technology & high growth ventures
- not for profits / social enterprises

Prof Nik Zeps

Partner
BSc (Hons), PhD (Surgery & Pathology)

Nik brings over 20 years of experience working in senior leadership in healthcare research. A cancer biologist by background Nik has most recently led national initiatives to develop and implement research infrastructure, policy and practice. He has been an expert adviser to the TGA, served on the Research Committee and Australian Health Ethics Committee of the NHMRC and serves on national and International advisory boards across a diverse range of clinical trials and biomedical research activities.

His expertise includes a deep practical knowledge of conducting research in health services and a demonstrated capability of implementing functional change in organisations that improve productivity through positive and sustainable cultural change.

Nik retains an academic role through the Eastern Health Clinical School of Monash University where he is an adjunct Professor and is Clinical Research Lead of Monash Partners through engagement with Chrysalis. He is a current Chief Investigator on grants of over $5million and still co-supervises post graduate students and publishes academic papers.

Allison Northcott

Partner
BA, MLLR, PRIMed

As an experienced coach, workplace investigator and mediator, Allison is passionate about working with her clients to get to the bottom of the most challenging workplace matter.

Allison's current clients include corporates and NFPs across all sectors, government departments and law firms. Prior to specialising in workplace investigations and mediation, Allison held senior HR/ER roles in blue chip companies in both Australia and offshore, including Westpac, Credit Suisse and Rio Tinto. Allison holds a Masters of Labour Law and Relations from Sydney University, is an accredited mediator having trained with the Resolution Institute and is qualified in the use of the Human Synergistic suite of tools for personal and professional development.

Allison is experienced engaging at all levels, including with Boards and has gained directorship skills and experience is a qualified company Director through completing the AICD Company Directors Course. In addition, Allison is Company Secretary for Eudaemon Technologies an innovative Med-Tech start-up.

expert advisors

Shane Stone

Expert Advisor
PhD, BSc (Hons)

Shane brings over 10 years’ experience in the commercial biotechnology and drug discovery space, and is a strong advocate for linking scientific and business strategies towards realistic translation and commercialisation of academic research. His experience ranges across the drug discovery and development landscape from target validation, screening, and molecule optimisation to in vivo validation, with the focus on developing programs to strong IP positions and potential commercialisation. Shane also advises on scientific strategies and program direction for start-ups in the bioscience space

A/Prof Tam Nguyen

Expert Advisor
PhD MBA FIML

Tam has over 20 years of working in the healthcare, health and medical research and research management sector including tertiary teaching hospitals, medical research institutes and universities across Australia. Tam serves as non-executive director on various NFP, healthcare and aged care boards providing his broad range expertise including strategy, governance, and stakeholder engagement. He also advises numerous medtech and health tech start-ups on their overall strategies, clinical trials strategies, project management and execution.

Prof Robert Gorkin

Expert Advisor
PhD, MBA

Rob is an engineer and entrepreneur passionate about transforming innovative concepts to commercial reality with a strong focus on social good. His experience includes work on five continents with world-class institutes and companies, varying from international corporations to entrepreneurial startups and not-for-profits. His work has navigated the academic-industry interface through research, project management and advocacy for advanced manufacturing and biotechnology.

our values & behaviours

Creating long term Trust-based relationships with our clients, Chrysalis enhances transformational growth.

Freedom to
be great

  • We believe in ourselves and others.
  • We take courageous action to deliver our vision.
  • We inspire with our desire for excellence.
  • We care intensely about Chrysalis’s success.

Call it as
you see it

  • We value truth and transparency.
  • We are candid and direct.
  • We are quick to admit mistakes.
  • We identify root causes, and get beyond treating symptoms.

Seek out other
perspectives

  • We listen well and seek to understand.
  • We value diversity of thought.
  • We look for the adjacent possible.
  • We challenge assumptions and suggest better approaches.

Learn
fast

  • We learn fast and eagerly so we are always improving.
  • We see setbacks/challenges as an opportunity to learn.
  • We embrace and initiate change.
  • We keep trying new things until we succeed.

Be committed
to success

  • We delight our clients and colleagues.
  • We accomplish an amazing amount of important work.
  • We consistently demonstrate a bias to action.
  • We are tenacious and don’t give up.

Always do the
right thing

  • We always act with integrity.
  • We look for opportunities to build sustainable systems.
  • We make time to help colleagues.
  • We share openly and proactively.

testimonials

"Can’t thank you enough for the superb facilitation Nick. It exceeded my already high expectations. It was world class. The clear strategic plan we achieved and the communication techniques you showed us are already making a huge impact here. I feel privileged to get this opportunity to work with you and observe the mastery in process."

Dr. Michael Winlo, CEO, Linear Clinical Research

“Nick has worked on several occasions with our Leadership Team of 14 individuals from very diverse working and cultural backgrounds. Through Nick’s skilled coaching and excellence in this field, he has taken our organisation on a positive journey to strengthen our purpose and vision, putting strategic plans together to enable us to strive towards our mission. He has brought about a positive cultural change within the organisation and enabled us to form a cohesive team that continues to build trust in each other. The skills learnt through Nick’s positive, empowering coaching skills have given the Leadership team insight and clear direction of our culture values. The bespoke training manual that he created for the staff continues to be used as a tool for achieving positive outcomes. Due to his skilled coaching, Linear has a united, trusting leadership team, working together with unified purpose.”

Gail Clement, Clinical Unit Manager, Linear Clinical Research

“Chrysalis Advisory provides an extremely professional and comprehensive suite of business services. Nick Northcott is a rarity. He always delivers, goes the extra mile for his clients, and is generous with his time, energy and contacts. In a matter of months, Nick has become my most trusted advisor. He is genuinely interested in assisting others to achieve their goals. I recommend Nick and his team without hesitation.”

Laura Keily, Barrister and Entrepreneur, BSc, LLB (Hons), MCommrclLaw, GAICD

Nick Northcott expertly facilitated a one-day meeting and workshop bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders across the clinical trials sector. The meeting was the first of its kind and Nick ensured the meeting delivered above and beyond on all objectives, including scoping six high quality projects and setting the tone and high expectations for future events. Nick also provided professional advice and assistance in meeting preparation as well as consolidating the meeting output and crucially identifying a pathway to action via an instructive report. We really look forward to working with Nick again!

Leanne Weekes, Programme Director, Clinical Trials Impact & Quality

“I engaged Nick’s services in 2017, to assist me in transitioning from a technical expert role into one of being a manager and executive team member of a large organization. It was a great decision. Nick is an attentive listener, he is honest and thoughtful. I trust him wholeheartedly. His broad knowledge, experience in organizations and authenticity have helped me develop the skills needed for my role, many of which were new to me – strategic recruitment, change and project management and having difficult conversations, to name a few. He has always made himself available to me during the challenging moments I have faced. I recommend his services as a coach for any new executive manager without reservation.”

C-level Executive of an ASX 100 company,

"Nick has presented as the ‘complete package’. This is a rare blend of technical expertise, emotional and social quotient, higher educational insights, challenging behaviour and the display of a genuine interest in what we want to achieve."

Jenny Taylor, Director of People & Capability, Curtin University

“I have recently worked with both Allison and Nick at Chrysalis Advisory. I consider myself to be a hard taskmaster and I am very impressed. Firstly, I was kept up to date on the status of the matter and with costs at all relevant times. This is very important to me when I brief out a matter. Communication and feedback is essential. Secondly, Allison and Nick are extremely professional and efficient. We conducted a lot of meetings over video on the computer, which was productive and less costly. Thirdly, the matter they dealt with was complex, with a significant degree of technical language and operational networks and also intricate cultural issues. I was impressed with the way they were able to easily master the core issues within a short period of time. Fourthly, the report that was produced at the conclusion of the matter was of a high standard. It was thorough and easy to understand, with supported reasoning. I would recommend Chrysalis Advisory to anyone seeking a professional and high quality workplace investigation to be conducted. Last but not least, both Allison and Nick are delightful people and working with them is a pleasure.”

In-house Counsel Employee Relations National Tourism/Hospitality company,

"Allison handled my case with care and sensitivity, wanting to ensure that me, and the other party, were treated fairly at all times. She was very well-prepared with a robust process that seeks to establish the facts through a series of in-depth interviews and a review of other artefacts."

Senior Global IT Business Director, Complainant in a bullying/harassment matter

"Chrysalis Advisory was very responsive to an urgent request we had to help us investigate a complex staff harassment matter. Allison and her team were professional, thorough and worked through the issues in a reasonable timeframe for all concerned."

Board Member Global Not for Profit organisation,

“I have worked with Chrysalis Advisory since early 2019 on a number of different projects drawing on their professional and excellent services in the areas of strategy, organisation design, and facilitation. In that time, I have thoroughly enjoyed building a trusted relationship with them. I know they place the best interest of the organisation I lead at the heart of their advice. I highly value the integrity of their approach, their open, candid and direct style, and their ability to deeply listen and seek to understand. They are experts in what they do, enablers of transformation, with a sharp skill for surfacing core issues, challenging assumptions, synthesising, and focusing on root causes and levers that can be truly transformational for an organisation.

Whilst I have worked more often with Nick, I have found both Nick and Allison an absolute pleasure to work with. They bring a valued mix of sharpness and kindness to all the work we have done together. I look forward to working with them again soon, and I highly recommend them to anyone seeking high quality strategic advice.”

Bettina Baldeschi, Chief Executive Officer, IWDA