Melanie Gowlland

Melanie’s career in the banking and finance industry provides a strong foundation for her coaching, mentoring and facilitation work today. Her career included senior roles at ANZ Banking Group, where she was Associate Director in Project and Structured Finance and Institutional Banking. She was also the Health industry expert for ANZ and the Corporate Finance Coach for ANZ Business Bank, working with business bankers to strengthen strategic partnerships with clients through leadership conversations and drive commercial outcomes, and growth in share of wallet.

Earlier in her career, Melanie worked with Standard Chartered Australia and the State Bank of NSW. She developed a significant public and private project portfolio across the hospital and health sector, building extensive experience in government and corporate relationships, complex stakeholder environments and the Australian health and infrastructure sectors.

Throughout her corporate career, Melanie demonstrated an ability to recognise leadership qualities in people, sometimes before they recognised those qualities in themselves. She identified and developed emerging leaders, helping them build the confidence, capability, and clarity to step into more senior roles.

Since joining SMG in 2005, Melanie has brought that experience to her work as an executive coach, mentor, and facilitator. She is passionate about working with leaders and leadership teams and works with clients in ASX 100 companies across a broad range of sectors. She brings a genuine understanding of corporate life, culture, and the foundations of leadership, together with an ability to recognise and develop leadership capability in others.

Melanie starts by understanding the leader in context: their experience, current priorities, organisational environment and what they need to achieve. She meets clients where they are, bringing empathy, focus and clarity to helping them move forward.

Her coaching focuses on clarity of purpose and self-leadership, strengthening influence and relationships, and helping leaders motivate and engage their teams. She works with clients to understand how their behaviour affects others and identify practical changes that strengthen their effectiveness.

Melanie combines a commercial and pragmatic perspective with the space for genuine reflection. She challenges and supports clients to shift perspective where needed, identify what they can do differently, and make changes relevant to their role, their organisation, and their broader leadership goals.

She listens closely, building the trust and connection that enables them both to see qualities and capabilities that will assist in their leadership journey. When leaders can identify the strengths they can draw on, what may be getting in the way, and how shifts in perspective or behaviour can strengthen their effectiveness, then true shifts are possible.

Clarity is central to Melanie’s approach. She shows up with empathy, encouragement, and challenge when it is needed. Her coaching is reflective but purposeful, helping clients understand how their behaviour affects others and helping them develop the ability to identify what they can do differently.

Working with Melanie provides a safe and trusted space to reflect, see possibilities more clearly, shift perspective where needed and translate insight into meaningful change that moves clients towards their leadership goals.