Sally Dorsett named CEO of consulting start-up Openloop Solutions
A small team with a background at Synergy Group and Gurugun have been assembled to kick-start a new Canberra-based consulting boutique Openloop Solutions, with Sally Dorsett appointed as CEO.
Sally Dorsett joins the fledgling advisory firm after previously serving as chief people & culture officer at Synergy Group, where she altogether spent six years as an executive director and partner and was instrumental in developing the firm’s key, ‘people-first’ national growth strategy.
With a focus on organisational performance, Openloop Solutions was established toward the end of last year by former Gurugun executive director Craig Appaneal, who also once served as a senior manager at Synergy Group and is a long-term senior organisational psychology lecturer at the Australian National University (ANU).
“Sally has built a reputation for her expertise in managing complex change processes and delivering innovative solutions in challenging environments,” the firm states. “Her skills have been crucial in executing successful transformations, particularly within government and private sector organisations, making her a highly respected leader in her field.”
Dorsett brings more than three decades of professional management and human resources experience to her new role, having previous to Synergy Group spent three and a half years at EY. Before that, she spent almost 20 years as a HR specialist with the Royal Australian Air Force, and a further five in senior workforce roles at the Department of Defence.
“I am committed to leveraging the knowledge and experiences gained throughout my career to foster an exceptional, inclusive workplace that champions quality, creativity, innovation, and outstanding results for our clients,” Dorsett said, noting that she was particularly proud of the CEO announcement coinciding with International Women’s Day.
“Over the course of my 35-year career, I’ve had the privilege of working with many outstanding individuals, often in fields that haven’t been traditionally female-dominated,” she continued. “More recently, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with a number of remarkable women who have been a source of inspiration and strength in the professional services industry.”
Organisational change
Among those women who Dorsett will continue to work with are Appaneal’s fellow former Gurugun executive director and ANU colleague Claire Shrewsbury, a senior manager at Openloop Solutions, and a familiar face in Elizabeth Reinhardt, who joined the advisory as a manager last month after spending the past three years as a senior consultant at Synergy Group.
Together, the team will support public and private sector clients in improving their organisational performance, including through strategy and design, leadership development, coaching & facilitation, strategic communications and engagement, and overall transformation – from preparation through to implementation and post-change integration.
“In a world of continuous change, 75 percent of organisational change fails,” the firm says on its website. “We work alongside leaders to develop solutions to support the implementation of transformational change, and our people-first approach ensures we draw on evidence and best practice to not only implement change, but to sustain positive impact and adaption over time.”
