Alexander Block

Executive summary

Alex is an Advisory Partner with BDO in Canberra. As an experienced management consultant, he has a track record of building high-performance and cohesive teams to deliver complex consulting engagements across clients in the defence, national security, and federal government sectors.

He helps clients achieve strategic alignment, enhance operational performance through the design and implementation of operating models, undertake cost-benefit analysis, develop capability investment proposals, and drive performance improvement. Alex works closely with clients to identify challenges and co-develop actionable plans focused on tangible outcomes.

With a decade of experience consulting across federal government departments and a decade as a military officer, Alex has established a strong reputation for quality client delivery, developing the people and teams around him, and being actively involved in client delivery to enable people to thrive.

Expertise

• Define strategies to provide clear direction and focus for the organisation
• Develop operating models to empower people to deliver their required outcomes and impact
• Drive performance improvement initiatives that empower and align teams and executives
• Undertake cost-benefit analysis to inform investment and divestment opportunities
• Develop rigorous capability options for investment, generally centred around technology

Experience

• Government agency - Developed an enterprise technology strategy and technology blueprint to help the agency rebalance its technology initiatives and investment between its various business units with enterprise investments. This strategy was complemented by a revised operating model implementation plan for the agency’s enterprise technology division.
• Government department - Designed and implemented a cross-agency governance model. This included process and reporting improvements, design of a risk management framework, and improvements to the underpinning technology platform.
• Government agency - Developed and implemented an evaluation framework for a coordinating agency to consistently define, measure and report the performance of portfolio agencies.
• Government department - Supported the department with a successful investment submission to Government consisting of technology and infrastructure. The submission included various internal gate reviews and Government approval and required engagement across the department’s senior executives as well as central agencies.
• Government department - Supported senior executives to develop a divisional strategy for the department’s corporate services division. This included working with the branch heads to develop a supporting implementation plan with associated KPIs.
• Government department - Undertook a risk analysis of the impacts of COVID restrictions on the department’s existing recruitment processes and provided recommendations to adjust the systems, processes and risk management practices in response to the various state restrictions.

Qualifications and affiliations

• Oxford Executive Leadership Program
• Master of Business Administration
• Bachelor of Arts (Management)