Damian Cotchett
Senior Consultant
I love working with leaders and teams to frame specific goals and work to find unique yet pragmatic solutions. I am constantly inspired by the capability and passion that exists in the people I work with in organisations to solve complex and important issues that make for a better workplace and society.
Damian is a highly motivated, insightful and determined performer who works effectively with organisations’ senior leadership teams to deliver outstanding results. He applies his proven capabilities to drive customer experience management and business transformation strategies and programs. Damian possesses exceptionally strong influencing and interpersonal skills which he draws upon to deliver enduring, pragmatic solutions for organisations facing change.
Damian brings extensive experience in the financial services sector, having worked with a global financial services company in Australia, New Zealand, North and South Asia. He has also worked in the public sector in human services and transport. Damian has held the position of Company Director with Cardlink Services, a payment authorisation business.
Project experience
Customer experience management
- Designed and delivered a multi-channel (online, contact centre and branch network) customer experience program for an Australian credit card business that comprised strategy definition, implementation of initiatives and engagement of key stakeholders. The program that took the company’s customer loyalty and satisfaction to #1 amongst its competitors whilst at the same time the business ranked as the most profitable credit cards business in the sector.
- Facilitated and project managed the design and implementation of a customer experience program for a financial services company in Australia and New Zealand. The program reduced a significant number of complaints and led to customers rating their level of customer satisfaction higher resulting in less customer attrition and higher usage of products and services.
Human resource management
- Developed and implemented a global leadership talent program for a large international financial services organisation that identified and successfully developed young professionals to senior executive level roles
- Managed the succession planning function of a large international financial services organisation that involved short-term placement of key people into critical roles as well as defining the long-term workforce planning requirements for the company
- Developed and implemented an integrated skills and competencies based modular training program for a wide range of job roles in a state government transport statutory authority.
Organisational change
- Led the change management program for a large multinational financial services company in the move to global lines of business, creating greater capability for the organisation to leverage expertise across multiple geographies resulting in several new business operations emerging in Asia
- Developed and directed a significant staff engagement transformation for a financial services company that increased employee satisfaction scores from 43% to 83% through the design and implementation of a range of innovative HR and workplace programs, resulting in the business being a preferred employer of choice as well as growing at a CAGR greater than 20% over four years
- Conducted several large organisational reviews of work areas that faced major change in terms of productivity improvements and service standards in a state government transport statutory authority.
Business performance
- When managing a $90M budget and 900 staff, directed a large scale cost management program that combined offshoring and outsourcing projects with several process re‑engineering improvement initiatives to deliver a 10% cost reduction whilst delivering strong operating service performance standards and high staff engagement scores
- Project managed an Australian financial services company response to a national disaster ensuring policies, systems and processes were redesigned and aligned to address customers’ needs and relevant national media provided to keep the community informed through a time of significant uncertainty.
Education / accreditation / board membership
- Ph.D. Psychology, Monash University
- Masters of Arts (Applied Psychology), University of Melbourne
- Bachelor of Behavioural Sciences (Honours), La Trobe University
- Fellow, Australian Institute of Human Resources
- Member, Australian Psychological Society
- Member, International Association of Applied Psychologists
- Registered Psychologist (Psychology Board of Australia) with specialist registration as an Organisational Psychologist
Past employment
Damian’s has recently worked in a series of executive roles in financial services at the ANZ Banking Group:
- Lead, Change Management Practice, Australia Division Strategic Investment Program
- Head, Customer Experience, Cards & Retail Banking
- Head, Operations, Sales and Customer Services, Consumer Finance
- Head, People Capital, Consumer Finance.
Interests
Damian thoroughly enjoys work, sport and family life. He and his wife Annette spend lots of their time travelling and camping around Australia with their four children. Damian enjoys remaining fit and healthy. After retiring from amateur football, he has been involved in triathlons and long distance cycling.
