Building flourishing communities
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Building flourishing communities
Lake Advisory is a boutique infrastructure and operations consulting firm that works on initiatives with clear goals for community flourishing and a commitment to social good.
We're unlike any advisory firm you've ever encountered
Born out of a passion for good, Lake Advisory was started by a group of friends dedicated to social purpose.
Bringing a combined 90 years' experience in government, private and for-purpose sectors, Lake Advisory was formed to support anyone dedicated to building strong and flourishing communities.
Whether it's in building public infrastructure, improving services or supporting relationships (commercial or otherwise), Lake Advisory has the tenacity to walk the long journey with our clients, the willingness to get our hands dirty solving problems on the way, and the perspective to celebrate success.
OUR PASSION
Initiatives that have a social purpose
OUR GOAL
Supporting flourishing communities
OUR FOCUS
Clients that seek to do good
Our Services
Keeping rain off the services
Infrastructure & Project Advisory
So often, we see how poor infrastructure impacts social outcomes. Whether it's building world-class schools, improving regional hospital access, creating more social and affordable housing capacity or developing asset management strategies for community sporting facilities, Lake Advisory believes that well delivered and managed infrastructure can have an immeasurably positive impact on the lives of those in the community.
Making sure things happen
Operations & Governance
Whether you're building new facilities or operating in existing ones, knowing what's happening, who's delivering what services and how much things are costing is crucial.
At Lake Advisory, we specialise in outcomes definition, benefits management, operational costings, commercial risk, governance and improvement. Whether you need an independent operational review, a project or investor assurance framework or an operational model, come and speak to us.
Creating shared value
Commercial Advisory
Commercial relationships, like all relationships, are about trust. At Lake Advisory, we aim to find commercial solutions - be they financing arrangements, performance frameworks, cost models or other deals - that support the best outcomes for our clients. We believe that doing a commercial deal does not need to come at the cost of real relationships, good social outcomes or ethical financial management. Whether you're bidding for a government project, negotiating a new contract or structuring finance for infrastructure, come and talk to our commercial team.
Getting the best outcome
Transaction & Bid Strategy
There is more to a tender process than meets the eye. Whether you're a government agency trying to structure the right kind of tender process, build market confidence to get the best bids, or are considering testing market appetite for a hybrid of in-house and outsourced services, drawing from a wide range of experience is crucial.
For those who bid into government projects, understanding how your bid will land in the lap of the decision makers is the name of the game - even more important than the price.
Either way, at Lake Advisory, we know how to recognise when a tender process should be about price or about service quality (or both). So give us a call to let us help you get the best outcome from your transaction.
OUR VISION
We strive to be Australia's most trusted advisory firm
Our people
Managing Partner
Greg Lake
Greg is a project executive and commercial leader with government, not for profit, and private sector experience.
Greg has devoted his attention to projects and organisations that are focused on community and social outcomes – from immigration to corrections and the charity sector, jobs involving diverse communities and people from minority backgrounds.
Prior to his work on major infrastructure programs, Greg worked in research, policy development and stakeholder engagement roles. After studying economics and business law, he worked in the banking sector, then for the Australian Senate on a range of policy areas and led a 20-country civil society engagement strategy for the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia.
Some of Greg's achievements include:
Executive Director
Fiona Larkin
Fiona has extensive experience in project management and advisory services in the construction industry. During her career she has managed and delivered a variety of high profile civic, cultural and education projects across Australia.
Her greatest strength is her versatility: every project throws up something unexpected, and Fiona is adept at managing complex issues in any setting. She values clarity of purpose and communication and seeks to incorporate this into every project she works on.
Fiona’s experience extends across the full project lifespan from the earliest steps of feasibility assessment, master planning, precinct planning and brief development, to design management, procurement and delivery.
Fiona is able to manage stakeholders from Executive Management groups to key end users, guiding stakeholders through the concept and design phases through to procurement, construction and occupation. She is skilled in the delivery of projects in high-profile operational and heritage environments.
Executive Director
Sam Agafonoff
Sam is an experienced and inquisitive leader who drives continuous improvement by exploring best practice models for service delivery to meet agency outcomes. He maintains intellectual humility and understands that great ideas come from many sources. He has developed this approach through a career built on his leadership and commercial acumen. Sam’s experience is diverse and represents a proactive and strategic approach to all of his projects. As an industry leader, he is skilled in negotiation and nurturing partnerships to drive collaborative change across organisations. Consolidating resources and gaining additional perspectives to avoid duplication. He advocates for bringing people ‘along for the journey’ and is a strong mentor to staff.
These skills have delivered considerable savings to those he works for. He is an excellent communicator with interpersonal skills learned from years of experience building relationships with a range of stakeholders in challenging environments.
Sam has worked on a number of high profile and complex projects which represent public-private partnerships and strategic approaches to complex policy environments. Examples of this work are;
Director (M.Human Rights)
Natasha Ross
Natasha brings a robust blend of program management, governance, and operational delivery expertise, skillfully ensuring alignment with strategic objectives within both the social sector and major infrastructure programs.
Her background spans government and non-government organisations (NGOs), where she has developed a person-centred approach to infrastructure and social services, particularly within the justice, aged care, disability and local government sectors.
Natasha's ability to navigate complex reform and transition environments in these sectors underscores her commitment to fostering continuous improvement and achieving sustainable outcomes.
Currently, Natasha contributes her experience to worthy causes as a Board Director for the Armidale Women’s Shelter in regional NSW, aiding women affected by homelessness and domestic violence. This role complements her professional efforts to improve quality of life and operational standards in aged care and disability services, illustrating her dedication to making a tangible impact in the community.
Director
Jack Stapleton
As a director at Lake Advisory, Jack brings a wealth of expertise in commercial advisory, procurement management, and strategic project delivery within large-scale infrastructure and service projects.
With a Graduate Diploma in Project Management Jack has developed and led comprehensive projects across both public and private sectors, showcasing his ability to handle complex, multi-disciplinary challenges effectively.
His career spans significant contributions to essential social infrastructure and service delivery initiatives, including health services, judicial systems, and corrections, where he has consistently demonstrated the ability to merge technical and commercial management with practical project execution. Jack's deep understanding of community infrastructure and his adeptness in stakeholder management have been pivotal in navigating the intricate dynamics of these projects, ensuring they meet strategic objectives while adapting to community needs.Senior Associate
Taryn Lockhart
For more than two decades Taryn has built on her project and stakeholder management experience in a variety of private and public sector roles. She is passionate about the community and health sectors. Bringing her task-focused attitude to all that she does. Proactive and well-organised, Taryn is adept at prioritising conflicting demands to ensure best practice and continuous improvement on the projects she works on.
Taryn's attention to detail and intrinsic understanding of quality assurance frameworks ensures the 'i's' are dotted and the 't's' are always crossed with every project she works on. A strong relationship builder, Taryn works exceptionally well with client teams and key stakeholders.
She is also the founder of a charity that provides bags with essential personal items for young homeless and disadvantaged men."Lake Advisory sets high standards and big goals, then works with great energy, effective collaboration and meticulous care for detail to achieve them."
"They negotiate complex relationships and requirements, have an excellent understanding of government, and a strong commitment to clarity."
"Able to navigate intricacies with ease while engaging stakeholders at every organisational and community level."
"Lake Advisory will continue to make outstanding contributions to the people, the communities and the organisations with whom they work."
(Quotes by Rev Tim Costello AO)