Mark Cushing

Executive summary

Mark is a Partner in BDO’s Consulting team in Brisbane. He provides strategic direction and leadership experience on large-scale programs of work with complex business challenges.

Mark specialises in public sector and not-for-profit advisory, with over 25 years’ direct government agency experience across a range of portfolios, including financial and environmental sustainability, utilities, regional planning, disaster management, health, transport, education, and technology.

He has held senior executive positions responsible for delivering digital optimisation and transformation, adopting emerging technologies, implementing service delivery improvements, implementing information management strategies, and providing business intelligence solutions to clients.

Expertise

• Strategic planning and business cases for investment
• Service optimisation and transformation
• Advancing innovative and emerging technologies
• Business intelligence, data analytics, and visualisation
• Information exchange and data management
• Business process modelling and redesign
• Portfolio and program management and governance
• Stakeholder and community engagement
• Organisational redesign and change management
• Disaster and crisis management

Experience

Business cases

• Developed a state government shared services agency’s strategic investment roadmap business case and associated benefits covering HR, payroll, human capital, and a range of digitally-enabled improvements
• Developed the business case, governance framework, operating model, and revenue streams for the establishment of new state government entities
• Developed business cases for significant investment in the replacement of business-critical legacy systems.

Operating model and business process reviews

• Delivered a customer services review for a state government department in relation to cost-effective services with significant efficiency gains identified, and developed an implementation roadmap to realise improvements
• Delivered a range of transformational strategic business activities for a large not-for-profit to ensure future operations met their future strategic needs
• Delivered significant organisational transformation for a government agency to meet future regulatory obligations and address changing customer expectations.

Governance reviews

• Provided advice and recommendations to a state government department on the governance arrangements and delivery authority operating model required to successfully deliver a major future international sporting event in Brisbane
• Efficiency review of a large not-for-profit’s operations, organisational capability, and governance arrangements to deliver on both strategic objectives and regulatory obligations
• Provided advice and recommendations to a health innovation agency on improvements to governance and future operational activities.

Digital strategy

• Former CIO for state government departments, leading systems modernisation, mobile technology implementation, cloud-based offerings, telephony and connectivity rollouts, and cyber preparedness
• Developed a not-for-profit’s rural and remote services digital strategy and investment roadmap, and conducted technology procurement activity
• Developed a range of government digital strategies supporting corporate plans to enhance the adoption and utilisation of digital technologies to deliver government services.

Systems implementation

• Delivered one of the first true cloud-based applications for a state government, to be used to prepare and lodge applications for assessment and referral
• Delivered a large, high-performing not-for-profit’s employee lifecycle management solution
• Delivered the implementation of a customer-facing government portal and online service to support Queensland businesses’ growth and operations.

Strategic planning and advice, roadmaps

• Supported a state government health research agency to improve both their profile and the community health benefits they produce. Co-designed and facilitated a key stakeholder workshop and documented outcomes, including an implementation roadmap
• Developed a corporate sponsorship strategy for a not-for-profit/peak healthcare body; this included identifying potential sponsorship channels and opportunities, workshop facilitation, and developing user-friendly guides
• Supported the development of government corporate strategy to encourage the adoption and economic growth of Queensland’s agricultural technology industry.

Procurement

• Delivered strategic procurement to replace a business-critical state government department system, including but not limited to developing documentation, market briefing facilitation, supporting evaluation, developing negotiation strategy, facilitating supplier meetings, and contract support
• Advisory services to a social services peak body for the procurement of a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Identified requirements; conducted a market scan; and evaluated vendors. Produced a detailed evaluation report for the board, including next steps.

Business continuity and disaster recovery

• Advisory for a large state government department, including reviewing current state documentation against better practice standards, defining disaster recovery processes for critical information systems, and developing a system criticality framework to guide future governance and investment
• Delivered organisational business continuity and disaster recovery plans to ensure a large not-for-profit’s 3,000 staff and 350 volunteers could continue to deliver community health care and support services to over 30,000 clients across 60 geographical locations.

Qualifications and affiliations

• Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Leadership
• Bachelor of Technology
• Associate Degree in Civil Engineering
• Affiliate Member, CA ANZ