Capability Statement
Leigh Bernhardt Corporate Consulting Services
- Human resources/industrial relations specialist,
certified mediator/arbitrator
Leigh is a highly qualified and experienced
Human Resources and Industrial Relations specialist
with over 20 years of experience in senior executive
roles within some of Australia’s largest
and most successful corporations.
Business Consultant
Since April 2004 Leigh has operated successfully
as a self employed Corporate Business Consultant
performing a wide range of tasks for clients
across many diverse industries and professions.
For the seven years prior to 2004 Leigh held
possibly the largest Human Resources role in
local government in Australia as Manager Human
Resources for the Gold Coast City Council (Australia’s
second largest Council with 2,600 employees
and 1,500 contractors) where he was responsible
for the provision of HR/IR Services, Organisational
Learning and Development, Occupational health
and Safety and Risk and Insurance (including
General insurance and Worker’s Compensation)
This role had a combined budget of $19 million
and four operating branches.
Leigh also worked closely with the Local Government
Association of Queensland and achieved many
goals in this role including being the first
to introduce three year EBA’s into the
Local Government scene.
Leigh’s career to date has been highlighted
by his success in managing complex HR/IR issues
to a successful and innovative result in the
pursuit of business focussed outcomes and objectives.
Leigh commenced his management career as the
youngest ever elected State Union Official for
the Electrical Trades Union of Australia and
quickly progressed to a career in Management
with Esso Australia as the Senior Industrial
Relations Advisor for Exxon’s subsidiary
in Australia.
At the time this was the largest economic project
in the Southern Hemisphere and was responsible
for $16 Million dollars a day of production
of oil and gas and 10% of Australia’s
GDP.
Leigh represented not only ESSO Aust Ltd but
also the Oil Industry in National Wage Cases,
award restructuring and the initial stages of
enterprise bargaining for the Oil Industry.
Leigh then moved to the role of Group General
Manager Industrial Relations for Mayne Nickless,
and as their senior IR/ HR executive oversaw
the restructuring of their business and the
start up of Optus Communications as a member
of their Australian Board.
Leigh also successfully negotiated the first
National EBA with the TWU in the Transport Industry
in 1993.
During Leigh’s time in these roles he
dealt with 3 Prime Ministers, numerous State
and Federal politicians, union officials, employers
and employer organisations.
He was a member of the Business Council of
Australia Employee Relations Reference Committee,
the Victorian Employer Chamber of Commerce Employee
Relations Committee, The Australian Road Transport
Industrial Organisation, and appeared before
numerous Senate Committees as an expert in his
field.
Leigh was chosen by John Howard and Peter Reith
to meet with the BCA and the Geneva based lawyers
from the International Labour Organisation during
the initial drafting of some of the IR legislation
in place today due to his expertise in these
matters and was also involved in the NSW Goodwill
legislation implemented in NSW.
Tertiary Qualifications
• Professional Certificate in Arbitration — University
of Adelaide (certified grade three arbitrator IAMA)
• Strategic Human Resources Management — University
of NSW
• Part completed Diploma of Human Resources
Deakin University
• Certified Mediator — Institute of Arbitrators
& Mediators Australia
• Justice of The Peace (Qualified) Qld
Professional Affiliations
• Fellow Australian Institute of Human
Resources
• Member Australian Institute of Management
• Member Institute of Arbitrators and
Mediators Australia
• Member Institute of Business Leaders
Professional Competencies
• Human Resources – Workers Compensation,
strategic HR
• Industrial Relations – Greenfield
site agreements, acquisitions & mergers
at industry & organisational level
• Enterprise Bargaining – multi-site & multi-industry, design & implementation,
AWAs, Employee Collective Agreements, Union Collective Agreements, sick leave incentive plans
• Employee Relations
• Industrial Audits – risk management
strategies, business plans
• Business Planning/ Processes
• Restructuring/ Rightsizing – Aligning
HR/IR structures to meet corporate business
objectives
• Arbitration Mediation & Dispute
resolution
• Performance Management strategies &
frameworks/Counselling
• Industrial Advocacy – All industrial
and appeal tribunals
• Organisational Learning Initiatives
– managing aging workforce
• Organisation Development - corporate
health programs
• Lifestyle Management (Balance Program)
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