Damian McKinnon

• Started 6 businesses through to profitability.
• Transformed 2 businesses to 7 figure annual revenue.
• Assisted clients in crafting compelling value propositions for their products or services, increasing market appeal and competitiveness.
• Analyzed competitors'' offerings and formulated counter-strategies to maintain a competitive edge in the industry.
• Optimized financial management systems, streamlining budgeting and forecasting processes for clients.
• Mentored entrepreneurs in the art of negotiation and communication skills, fostering stronger relationships with stakeholders.
• Guided entrepreneurs through the process of setting realistic goals and developing achievable action plans.
• Streamlined company operations by identifying inefficiencies within different departments and proposing innovative solutions.
• Empowered clients to make informed decisions by providing them with data-driven analysis and industry insights.
• Evaluated existing organizational structures and recommended improvements for increased productivity and efficiency levels within client businesses.
• Collaborated with clients to develop effective sales strategies, boosting revenue generation capabilities.

• Managed and negotiated all traffic arrangements for the Closing event of the Centenary of the First World War in France. This role required negotiation with all levels of government in Australia and France, including moving 8,000 visitors through a park-and-ride system, VVIP and VIP arrangements including security arrangements.
• Used innovative computer modeling to save the Department over $200,000 in unnecessary event infrastructure.
• Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
• Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
• Established a culture of continuous improvement by fostering open communication channels and empowering employees to voice their ideas.
• Cultivated a positive work environment that fostered employee engagement, increased retention rates, and boosted overall team morale.
• Managed budgets effectively to ensure optimal use of resources while maintaining financial stability.

• Responsible for the delivery of the Managing Attendance project for centenary commemorations and assisting with the planning and delivery of centenary commemorations on the Western Front in France and Belgium;
• Ministerial responses and brief writing as required to respond to public inquiries and inform government;
• Development and establishment of a online interface for attendance pass registration, including Business analyst function and engagement of the testing team to complete user acceptance testing (UAT);
• Successful delivery of attendance pass project for Fromelles and Pozières centenary services on the Western Front;
• Develop business rules and terms and conditions for managing attendance at centenary commemorations;
• Deliver industry briefings around Australia on centenary commemorations;
• Write operations manual for Fromelles and Pozières centenary commemorations;
• Developed comprehensive project plans, ensuring timely completion of milestones and deliverables.
• Delivered high-quality results on time and within budget by diligently monitoring progress against established objectives.

• Responsible for delivery of a programme of asset management related projects
• Core responsibilities include; Delivery of high and low value procurements in geographically dispersed locations utilizing PMBOK and Prince2 frameworks;
• Provide high level communication to stakeholders;
• Development of complex contracts and lead with contract negotiations;
• Strategic management of resources in the delivery of programme of works;
• Contribute to and build on organizational resilience through policy development;
• Development and implementation of risk management strategies and hold the responsibilities of superintendent of construction projects
• Development of standard form contract AS4905-2002 for all construction projects;
• Development of in-depth project management tracking systems and processes;
• Delivery of centenary program of construction works with tight delivery timeframes;
• Stand in as DLO on occasion at the Minister’s office;
• Support commemorations on the Western Front at Anzac Day 2015 as an external EOI staff member

• Responsible for financial reporting and providing sound financial advice to business area
• Core responsibilities include; Provide high level financial reporting to First Assistant Secretary, Liaise with and develop budgets with Directors and Assistant Secretaries;
• Manage monthly finance meetings with senior executives;
• Ad-hoc reporting as required including responses to parliamentary questions on notice and freedom of information requests;
• Ensure compliance with legislation and policies for financial and contract reporting
• Manage commemorations budget and ensure compliance with finance legislation;
• Support the establishment of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board;
• Scribe and secretariat support to Ministerial summit on Veterans’ Affairs

• Providing support to the delivery of division functions through the business support team including the collation of division annual report contributions;
• Dealing with ad-hoc requests from senior finance team members;
• Process invoices and manage account inquiries;
• Ensure division compliance with legislation;
• Pay, administer and reconcile travel accounts;
• Prepare finance journals;
• Prepare overseas transaction documentation;
• Reconcile DFAT finance reports
• Act as Executive Assistant to the First Assistant Secretary Commemorations and War Graves weekly – as required
• Developed new systems and spreadsheets for reporting of finances

• Responsible for managing four stores within the Canberra and rural NSW region in a high pressure environment to achieve key performance indicators
• Core responsibilities include: achievement of sales targets within the region; manage wages effectively within set budgets; maintain a high level of team morale while developing a skilled team; achieve company deadlines through effective time management and organization; and mentor team members to progress through the business
• Successfully manage 4 stores with turnover of $3.5M annually;
• Hire, develop, manage and lead a team of 70 individuals;
• Turn large format store at DFO from loss to profit;
• Manage the opening of two new stores;
• Develop effective training sessions and store meetings for team development regularly

Partial Completion

Partial Completion

Graduated with Academic Excellence award for top percentile performance.