Brenden is a leader in public sector innovation with extensive experience in strategy, engagement, human-centred design, transformation and change.
He has led numerous complex projects across multiple sectors with a proven track record of enabling the teams he leads to push boundaries and deliver tangible results. A skilled facilitator, Brenden is recognised for bringing optimistic and unique perspectives to co-create new strategies, services and ways of working. He’s passionate about cities and their unique role leading the world to more sustainable futures.
Influential work
- Led CityLab, an in-house innovation and change consultancy at City of Melbourne, which is seen as a role model for visionary thinking, collaboration and experimentation within the Australian public sector
- Designed City of Melbourne’s 10-year community vision and four-year Council Plan using deliberative engagement processes, and developed City of Melbourne’s COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan
- Led service transformation projects across the public sector in higher education, city planning, waste and resource recovery, and visitor services; focused on increasing value and improving customer experiences
- Designed, developed and implemented an award-winning national program helping apartment owners improve their buildings’ sustainability
- Developed greenhouse gas/zero net emissions plans in the aviation, energy and government sectors.
Outside of Nous
While Director of CityLab, Brenden led its growth and evolution from a small design team into a high-performing and multidisciplinary team with capabilities in design, creative communications, agile, analytics and change management. He has nearly 15 years’ experience delivering complex projects in the public and private sectors.
Brenden holds a Master of Urban Habitat Management from University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Science with a major in ecology, behaviour and evolution from University of California, San Diego.
In his spare time...
Brenden grew up in Arizona and loves being outdoors. He’s an avid gardener, hiker, scuba diver and birder. And, since you asked, his favourite bird is the Major Mitchell’s cockatoo.
