About Cat Russell
I help leaders turn strategy into momentum while keeping work sustainable.
Why I do this work
Early in my career, I watched brilliant people burn out in reactive cycles: meetings about meetings, strategies that never made it to the work, and endless frameworks that changed nothing. The best people quietly disengaged.
That's what drives my work: making transformation a reality, not just a documented process. When we get the system right, the ripple effect is powerful. Performance improves, wellbeing enhances, and culture strengthens. That's the work I care about most
What I bring
I'm a transformation and leadership specialist who's been where you are. Before consulting, I held senior leadership roles across multiple industries. I was accountable for people, performance, and profit. I've navigated the chaos of competing priorities, inherited broken systems, and delivered results under pressure.
That experience shapes how I work: practical, grounded, and focused on what actually moves the dial. Over the past decade, I've helped more than 30 organisations reimagine how they work—making strategy real, culture strong, and change something people want to be part of.
I bring sleeves-rolled-up pragmatism backed by research, psychology and real-world experience. I've guided CEOs through high-stakes strategic pivots, helped leadership teams simplify the chaos of business as usual, redesigned operating models, and built leadership capability that lasts.
Working with me has been described as a 'warm corporate hug': you get clarity, confidence, and a practical plan that actually works.
“I don’t just deliver plans. I deliver progress. I’ll lean into the complexity, focus on what matters, and help your organisation move from strategy to momentum.”
What clients say
“Cat created a roadmap that empowered our people to deliver the goal. She shifted our team dynamic by co-designing better ways of working. Our engagement scores went up, and more importantly, we’re actually delivering on our strategy.”
“Working with Cat was a true partnership. She didn’t come in with a pre-packaged solution. Instead, she built on our priorities and helped us design new ways of working that fit our reality. The result? Real change, not just another framework.”
Experience at a glance
15+ years in senior leadership and organisational transformation
30+ organisations across superannuation, finance, education, government and complex services
Designed and delivered enterprise-wide OKRs, operating rhythms, leadership development and transformation programs
Grounded in organisational psychology, systems thinking, design thinking and neuroscience.
The principles I won’t compromise on
Outcome first: start with the result you want people to see and feel
Human and practical: tools teams can use the same day
Clarity beats complexity: fewer priorities, better rhythm, faster decisions
Leaders model the change: you can't delegate transformation. Leadership behaviour shapes everything.
Design for Thinking
(the backbone of my work)
Design for Thinking is my methodology for making organisations work better. It's built on neuroscience and psychology: how our brains actually work, not outdated management theory.
DfT brings brain-friendly habits into everyday work: clear outcomes, visible work, decision hygiene, focus windows and lightweight cadences. It keeps strategy and people connected so change actually sticks.
Let's talk
If you're leading transformation or looking for practical support to turn strategy into momentum, let's have a conversation.