Our Facilitators
Nigel Tanner
Nigel has senior management experience in education and manufacturing. He has a BA in Organizational Development from the University of Tasmania and a MEd from the University of London on a Commonwealth Relations Trust Fellowship.
He brings 30 years of consulting experience in strategy implementation, high-performance team development, culture change and change leadership to his work with clients. He is an outstanding process consultant and learning facilitator and has worked with senior managers and management teams across the Asia-Pacific Region and in the United States.
Nigel has been training people to be reviewers and review team leaders in the OGC Gateway™ review process since 2003 and has led over 100 reviews across most sectors of government in Australia and New Zealand.
Deb Te Kawa
Deb is a senior public policy and governance consultant with deep experience in government, regulatory reform, and strategy implementation. She holds a Master of Public Policy, various post-graduate certificates in information ethics, systems theory, change and programme management. She is also currently completing a PhD in political theory, focusing on the practice and constitutional significance of free and frank advice in public service governance.
She brings more than 30 years of experience across the public and private sectors, specialising in complex system design, public management, commissioning, and regulatory strategy. Deb is a skilled facilitator and strategic advisor, known for her ability to work across senior leadership teams, Boards, Crown entities, and with iwi and community organisations.
Deb lectures and tutors in public administration and policy, most recently at the University of Canterbury. She also writes a regular column for BusinessDesk titled He Poneketanga, which explores implementation, policy, and democratic accountability. She has led or contributed to major public sector reforms in health, social services, and Māori–Crown relations, and is a trusted advisor in strategy, assurance, and governance.
She has been a Gateway reviewer since 2010.
Dr Elissa Farrow
Dr Elissa Farrow from the Assurance Academy International brings over 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, assuring and managing complex programs of change. Her leadership has been recognised with multiple national and international awards, including contributions to women in project management and impactful research.
Elissa’s academic background and certifications include a doctoral degree exploring organisations of the future and the implications of Artificial Intelligence. Her published research also explores best practice assurance processes including the benefit of bringing a ‘user voice’ into the creation of assurance criteria of Artificial Intelligence implementation programs. Her expertise in Managing Successful Programmes, Agile methodologies, and change management underpin her comprehensive approach to PMO leadership, Gateway Reviews and organisational transformation.
As a trusted advisor and Australian Institute of Company Director (GAICD) non-executive director, Elissa provides strategic advice on large-scale transformations. Elissa excels in foresight and future workshops, strategic direction setting, organisational performance frameworks, assurance practice development, research and evaluation.