Trisha Kirkland

Trisha is a seasoned executive leader, leadership assessor, coach and consulting psychologist. Her 20-year career spans senior talent and leadership consulting roles, as well as in-house executive positions in blue-chip organisations. Her most recent roles include Executive Director of Strategic People Initiatives at the University of Melbourne, Senior Principal at Korn Ferry, Head of Culture, Leadership and Learning at KPMG, and Senior Manager at EY.

In these roles, Trisha has helped leaders step into larger and more complex executive positions. She has also designed and delivered enterprise-level talent and succession initiatives that build strong leadership pipelines for future growth. As a specialist in talent identification, leadership assessment and leadership development, she is known for her ability to pinpoint leadership potential with clarity and precision. Senior decision-makers seek her advice when making critical hiring or promotion decisions. She works closely with CEOs and VPs to assess leadership fit, de-risk external appointments and support internal transitions. Organisations including Telstra, NAB, the University of Melbourne, Transurban and CBA have relied on her expertise to identify and accelerate high-potential executives and strengthen their succession plans.

Trisha is also highly respected for her leadership development capability. She has helped leaders build the skills, mindsets and experiences needed to navigate organisational complexity and achieve their career goals. She has designed and delivered large-scale leadership programs for ASX-listed organisations. In addition, she has coached a wide range of leaders, from emerging high-potential talent through to newly appointed CEOs.

Trisha brings a unique combination of strategic focus, commercial and business understanding with her deep insight, empathy and delivery focus. She combines her lived experience in senior executive roles with her psychological skills and training as a psychotherapist to coach leaders in how to create systemic personal and organizational change and traverse significant leadership transitions. Identifying and fostering leaders ‘unique potential, grounded in their leadership purpose, Trisha brings together her deep insight from her original training as a psychotherapist to inspire growth and transformation. Building personal insight and self awareness of strengths and derailers, Trisha uses her clinical insights together with her understanding of leadership assessment tools to accelerate targeted growth opportunities.

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology – University of Melbourne
• Graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology –Swinburne University
• Diplomas in Psychotherapy and Coaching – Cairnmillar Institute
• Registered Psychologist and M.A.Ps.S accredited
• Hogan, MBTI, LSI, KF4D, KFALP, ESCI, MSCEIT, SHL, Mental Health First Aid trainer accredited
• Executive to Leader Institute accredited (Korn Ferry)

An obsessive foodie, Trisha loves to travel the world, learning the different cultures through the lens of their food culture and history. Dogs, playing sport (squash and tennis) as well as hiking the trails of Australia are amongst her other passions. She is equally as happy with the simple pleasures of time spent with loved ones and her extended family.