Right Lane welcomes Michael Livingstone and Matthew Torney

Experienced Victorian government policy strategists and advisors Michael Livingstone and Matthew Torney have joined Right Lane Consulting.

Melbourne-based strategy and management firm Right Lane Consulting has continued to strengthen its leadership team with two new appointments; Michael Livingstone, who joins as a principal from a senior advisory role with the Victorian government to lead Right Lane’s public sector practice, and former Nous Group director Matthew Torney, who as an associate principal brings two decades worth of strategy experience to the firm.

Michael Livingstone joins Right Lane as one of three current principals, the most senior level at the staff-owned and purpose-driven B-corp behind the CEO (former BCG consultant Chiara Lawry).

Tasked with leading the firm’s public sector practice, Livingstone brings a wealth of experience to his new role, including having served for the past four years as Chief of Staff to Victorian state minister Ben Carroll across several government departments.

In addition to his top-level policy development and delivery experience gained in a range of ministerial areas such as public transport and youth criminal justice, Livingstone also previously spent more than two and half years as a senior advisor to the Victorian premier, book-ended by stints in the community social services sector – a career which has seen him develop expertise in evaluation, organisational strategy, and service design among other areas.

Matthew Torney meanwhile joins as an associate principal (similarly, as now one of two among Right Lane’s three dozen professionals), having also recently spent time in the Victorian public service, namely as a business engagement director for the Department of Jobs (former secretary Simon Phemister is now a partner at PwC). Earlier in his career, during the previous Labor government, Torney likewise served as a policy advisor to the Victorian state premier.

Prior to his most recent period in the public service, Torney spent more than three years as a director at Nous Group, adding to a two-decade career in strategy advisory which further includes five years at Allen Consulting and an associate director stint at KPMG. More recently, he has served as a CEO and strategy director in the non-profit community housing sector, his passion and knowledge of which he’ll bring to Right Lane’s growing housing practice.

For those joining the consultancy – such as recent Big Four recruits Steven Tan and Gene van den Broek – Right Lane purpose-driven approach is commonly cited as a motivating factor, a sentiment echoed by Livingstone; “I was attracted to Right Lane as it’s an organisation that walks the talk, with strong values, a unique ‘for-purpose’ business structure, and an impressive record of delivering high quality work for organisations that do good.”