Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic

Melissa Bell

Melbourne,Australia

Summary

Experienced strategic communications leader with expertise in transformation and change management. Proficient in developing impactful employee communication strategies that align with business objectives and drive engagement. Demonstrated success in collaborating with senior leaders to craft compelling narratives and effectively manage large-scale initiatives. Recognized for promoting transparency, collaboration, and a culture of continuous improvement within the organization.

Overview

19
19
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Change Manager & Chapter Lead – FY25 Cost out Program + Management Systems

Telstra
12.2023 - Current
  • Change Management Leadership: Spearheaded the case for change in Telstra’s Management Systems operating model, engaging senior stakeholders and executive leadership to align strategy, performance, and finance
  • Strategic Stakeholder Engagement: Developed comprehensive stakeholder maps and conducted in-depth interviews with finance and strategy executives, chapter leads, and external agile organizations, providing critical insights for future funding and operating models
  • Ambiguity Navigation: Led strategic discovery in a highly ambiguous environment, defining approaches that have become foundational in aligning Telstra’s strategy with its operational frameworks
  • Cost Optimisation Initiatives: Successfully pivoted to the FY25 Cost Out Program, executing key communications and operational tasks, including stopping work communications post-ELF, creating orientation packs for product exits, and supporting psychosocial risk mitigation
  • Cross-Functional Alignment: Facilitated interlock between groups and chapters by establishing processes for documenting and communicating agile resource information, ensuring smooth operational transitions and confidentiality compliance

Senior Change Manager Workforce Strategy and Management Systems

Telstra
07.2023 - 12.2023
  • Designed and led transformative change initiatives to strengthen Chapters within the Agile@Scale model, fostering collaboration and adaptability.
  • Aligned workforce strategy with Telstra's corporate vision, integrating cross-functional insights for seamless execution.
  • Drove change efforts to enhance workforce planning, promoting consistency and agility across multi-year and real-time resource management.
  • Cultivated alignment and change adoption by implementing strategies that clarified planning personas within Groups and Chapter Areas.
  • Conducted stakeholder interviews and recommended initiatives to address operational challenges in Agile at Scale maturity.
  • Developed a change roadmap to align strategy, planning, and finance, streamlining operations for increased agility.
  • Created comprehensive change management support models for Chapters and Groups, ensuring smooth execution and adoption.

Senior Change Manager – Change Management Centre of Expertise

Telstra
01.2023 - 07.2023
  • Aligned strategic vision with CoE and Chapter Area leadership to achieve organizational goals.
  • Provided expertise on Telstra’s Ways of Working and led initiatives for CoE outcomes.
  • Created the 'Telstra Presents' series to elevate Change Management’s profile.
  • Drove continuous improvement by identifying gaps and enhancing business value.
  • Offered Change Management consulting and promoted Chapter Area skill sets.
  • Defined change management capabilities, supporting T-shaped skill development.
  • Contributed to career pathway development for WOW PD&C members.
  • Built stakeholder relationships, driving alignment on shared goals.
  • Developed best practices to ensure industry-leading chapter capabilities.
  • Managed updates to frameworks, toolkits, and training materials.
  • Provided advisory support for delivery practices and Ways of Working.
  • Collaborated on evolving Telstra’s Ways of Working towards a value stream model.

Senior Change Manager - Ways of Working

Telstra
05.2018 - 01.2023
  • Enterprise-wide transformation of Telstra Ways of working of agile, hybrid and operate functions
  • Process & Business Improvement consultation to uplift process ownership across the organisation
  • Created & implemented a large-scale change strategy for transforming functions to agile at scale
  • Lead end to end change across a fast-moving program of work - Cross Company Chapters and agile ways of working
  • Designed & delivered learning and support solutions that built the capabilities of our specialist agile roles
  • Lead the agile certification of Telstra with the Business Agility Institute
  • Change lead of our BizDevOps transformation and evolving our agile @ scale transformation
  • Design, build and management of intranet sites and created engaging materials and videos for increased engagement

Change & Capability Lead – Finance & Strategy

Telstra
12.2015 - 05.2018
  • Lead Telstra's talent identification and development capability across Australia and international markets within Procurement & Supply Chain
  • Designed, built, and marketed a talent program across technical, soft skills and leadership development capabilities to help future proof the professional and personal success of individuals within Telstra
  • Enabled a learning culture by providing learning opportunities with SMEs across the business, built learning pathways for key competencies using a blend of micro learning, key notes speakers, ILT and shadowing experiences
  • Lead and developed a collaborative, high performing agile ways of working ambassador team to help develop skills and mindsets on driving agile at scale
  • Lead the planning and delivery of change through a complex transformational change and capability uplift
  • Designed and Implemented a large-scale communication & change strategy
  • Created & executed a strategic training needs analysis and designed a capability uplift program to address capability gaps

Change & Learning Coordinator

Worley Parsons
06.2015 - 11.2015
  • Company Overview: Worley Parsons worked in conjunction with PWC on the eBIS project which was designed to roll out technical change across the business
  • Successfully developed the local training approach, conducted training needs analysis and designed and development all training activities
  • Coordinated and recruited the change management network and functional monthly meetings to help build sustainable change
  • Worked with the Global Training Manager and regional leaders in developing local training plans and schedules, and sourcing and setting up training facilities
  • Worked with the Organisational Change Management team to support related activities such as change impact assessments, business role mapping and change network planning
  • Worley Parsons worked in conjunction with PWC on the eBIS project which was designed to roll out technical change across the business

Home Loan Lending – Video Conference Mortgage innovations

04.2013 - 05.2015
  • Built strong relationships with customers, engaged in long lasting relationships with both internal & external stakeholders based on trust and mutual respect to drive referrals to the VC team
  • Was a brand ambassador for Video Conferencing, positively promoting the concept in interactions with all stakeholders and customers

Learning & Development Coordinator

American Express
06.2005 - 03.2013
  • Designed and delivered web-based training in partnership with project teams
  • Coordinated and scheduled all instructor led and web-based training across JAPA
  • Co-ordinated and facilitated induction programs for all new starters across all customer groups within Amex
  • Implemented and launched a new Learning Management System & RMS System for course setups and monitor data accuracy

Education

PROSCI Certified Change Practitioner -

Being Human

Certified Human Centred Design Practitioner -

LUMA Institute

PROSCI Change Management for Project Managers -

Being Human

Bachelor of Health Science - Psychology

University of Wollongong

Skills

  • Infectiously positive
  • Transformational Leadership & Mentorship
  • Strategic Visionary
  • Deeply Empathetic & Inquisitive
  • Innovative and People-Centric
  • Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

Accomplishments

  • 2022, Awarded Telstra's Excellence award for driving and accelerating positive change.
  • 2017, Awarded Telstra's EXCELERATE award for driving and accelerating positive change.

Timeline

Senior Change Manager & Chapter Lead – FY25 Cost out Program + Management Systems

Telstra
12.2023 - Current

Senior Change Manager Workforce Strategy and Management Systems

Telstra
07.2023 - 12.2023

Senior Change Manager – Change Management Centre of Expertise

Telstra
01.2023 - 07.2023

Senior Change Manager - Ways of Working

Telstra
05.2018 - 01.2023

Change & Capability Lead – Finance & Strategy

Telstra
12.2015 - 05.2018

Change & Learning Coordinator

Worley Parsons
06.2015 - 11.2015

Home Loan Lending – Video Conference Mortgage innovations

04.2013 - 05.2015

Learning & Development Coordinator

American Express
06.2005 - 03.2013

PROSCI Certified Change Practitioner -

Being Human

Certified Human Centred Design Practitioner -

LUMA Institute

PROSCI Change Management for Project Managers -

Being Human

Bachelor of Health Science - Psychology

University of Wollongong

Similar Profiles

CREATE PROFILE
Melissa Bell