Kiah Consulting enters new era with managing director Davina Mansfield

Canberra-based advisory Kiah Consulting has appointed former company member Davina Mansfield as its new managing director, with founder John Glenn handing over after more than two decades.

Mansfield returns to Kiah Consulting after a seven year absence, much of that time in senior operational roles at defence & cybersecurity boutique Viden, before which she spent two years as Kiah’s office manager to 2018.

A former long-serving officer in the Australian Army, Glenn meanwhile established Kiah in 2003, and has since grown the consulting firm into a multi-million dollar business serving public sector clients across a range of departments. The firm last year was named a leading consulting firm in several areas of practice.

“I am thrilled to be rejoining the team during this exciting change in leadership,” Mansfield said, while thanking Glenn for his leadership in setting up the firm for long-term success. “Having previously worked for Kiah makes this opportunity even more meaningful, and I look forward to contributing to our shared goals and continuing Kiah’s mission to improve public services.”

In addition to her time at Viden, where she served as operations manager and chief operating officer over five years, Mansfield also worked at Engineers Australia post-Kiah and as an executive assistant to the CEO of Touch Football Australia, and has provided voluntary administrative support to anti-trafficking and sexual exploitation organisation Global Alms for the past five years.

In her new role, Mansfield, who also started off her career in the Army and recently completed an MBA with the UNSW Business School, said her focus would be on fostering innovation, strengthening partnerships, and cultivating an environment that would empower Kiah’s professionals to excel, with a future vision for expansion while adapting to the evolving market.

Kiah Consulting provides a range of services covering strategy, operations, program and project management, IT, engineering and procurement among other areas. Mansfield said one fresh focus would be on supporting public sector industry clients to build up their internal teams, while the firm would also soon launch a new line helping startups navigate the world of grants and public sector funding.

“I am excited to build upon our strong foundation as we move into the next chapter,” Mansfield stated. “While John’s contributions have been invaluable, we cannot solely rely on his legacy. Kiah has always been more than just one person, and it’s time for us to evolve. He remains as a mentor, a person to bounce ideas off, but has given me the freedom to take the business in new directions.”

Glenn has often been an outspoken critic of the public sector procurement landscape as to the big international consultancies and smaller sovereign providers, and doesn’t appear inclined to soften his stance following the hand-over; “It’s always been a challenge to test the status quo with government when you are also reliant on it for your income. As for me, I think fading away is unlikely.”