Systems · Technology · Teams — Perth, WA
I help organisations navigate change, solve complex problems and turn opportunities into action.
With 20+ years of experience spanning business analysis, delivery and technology leadership at organisations including Canva, Qantas and Telstra, I bring together people, processes and technology to make things work better. I connect the bigger picture with the practical detail, helping organisations move from ideas and ambition to real, lasting change.
In person in Perth, or remote
3 for 3
small businesses now running live websites they built and own themselves
11
automation opportunities found for a small not-for-profit, and the first one built
20+
years helping teams work better, from family businesses to national brands
4,000+
people supported through a company-wide systems change, so nothing's too tangled
Services
Understand how work happens. Find a better way.
I help businesses understand how their work actually gets done, where things are getting stuck and what's creating unnecessary effort. Together, we identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve systems and make better use of automation and AI.
From good ideas to things that actually happen.
Sometimes the challenge isn't knowing what needs to change. It's getting everyone aligned and making it happen. I bring structure, momentum and the right people together to turn ideas into practical outcomes.
Technology only works when people can use it.
I help teams build confidence with new technology, embrace better ways of working and understand how tools like AI can make their jobs easier. I also help leaders create the conditions for people to contribute, adapt and do their best work.
How I work
I don't believe in dropping off a set of recommendations and leaving you to work out what happens next. I work alongside your people, helping turn ideas into practical improvements that your business can own and sustain.
Systems exist to make people's work easier. If a process looks great on paper but your team hates it, it's not a good process.
You finish more capable than you started. You understand what we built, you can change it, and you won't need me on speed dial.
Technology is useful, but it's not the point. Sometimes the fix is a conversation, not software.
Every team has strengths. I'd rather build on those than tear everything down and start again.
A ten-person business doesn't need enterprise tooling. You get what fits your size, budget and appetite.
Some things shouldn't be automated, and sensitive information doesn't go into AI tools without the right safeguards.
Experience
What I did
Mapped how the whole organisation ran, end to end: onboarding flows for charities and volunteers, intake and briefing, communications, project tracking and impact reporting. That gave everyone one shared picture of where the time was going.
The impact
11 automation opportunities, a practical roadmap, and their first live AI automation ahead of relaunch, cutting hours of manual founder research.
“Working with Cheryl has genuinely changed how I run tekFoundation.”
I’d been meaning to step up our AI game with tools like Claude for months but kept putting it off and knew I needed help from someone I could trust. Cheryl guided process refinement like an actual wizard, identified what was worth automating, and found solutions that fit our budget and resourcing. She never once made me feel less capable for not being technical, or for getting stuck on a detail tangent and needing to be pulled back to priorities. She’s honest, a great teacher and reasoner, and makes it all fun!
What I do
Practical, guided programs that help women in small business use technology and AI to get real jobs done themselves. First up: website.sorted, 10 lessons over 14 days to build and launch your own site.
The impact
3 businesses, 3 live websites from the pilot. One owner who didn't consider herself tech-savvy and expected to need a developer to finish it. One who kept going and built payments, a membership portal and a skin quiz. And a coach who rebuilt the site she'd paid for, so it finally matched her brand.
“What surprised me is that I could actually do it myself. I’m still surprised. I can’t believe I did it.”
What I did
Supported the business from setup through to ongoing operations, including registrations, insurance, website development, bookkeeping and practical AI-enabled improvements to quoting and administration
Why it matters
All of this sits on top of him actually building things for customers, and it's family time we want back. It was my first taste of life outside corporate, and it's why I understand what running a small business really feels like.
What I did
Turned ideas into company-wide initiatives: planning, aligning stakeholders, coordinating providers and running comms (with emojis).
The impact
A community of 435 women across ANZ. 12 events for 200+ attendees, an awards program that took 91 nominees to 23 finalists and 6 category wins, and AI Jams to build hands-on confidence with AI.
“The best team he's ever worked with.”
Led up to three teams and ~20 engineers at a time. Redesigned how teams were structured around the work, including halving leadership overhead across two Canva teams and removing key-person dependency on Qantas' payments platforms.
What I did
Led a five-person systems team through a company-wide People systems transformation, from implementation through to go-live and ongoing support for 4,000+ employees. I redesigned how the team operated so it could support the transformation while maintaining business-as-usual services.
The impact
Simplified operations into a single workflow with system-driven reporting. Tickets down 20%, resolution times almost halved.
What I did
Took over a troubled program after an unsuccessful launch. Rebuilt the recovery roadmap and worked side by side with flight crew and aircraft engineers.
The impact
Successfully relaunched the digital logbook used across Qantas' 737 operations.
About me
My career has taken me from business analysis and product roles in the UK and Germany, through to Telstra and Qantas, and most recently into technology and engineering leadership at Canva.
Across all of it, the common thread has been understanding how things really work, identifying what could be better and bringing people together to make it happen.
I'm not someone who believes every business problem needs another piece of software. Sometimes it's a process that needs fixing, a team that needs support, or a conversation that hasn't happened yet.
My strength is connecting those dots: understanding the technology, the operational realities and, most importantly, the people who make it all work.
Community
Mentoring, advocacy and creating opportunities for women in technology have been a constant throughout my career.
From leading Canva's ANZ Women Collective to mentoring women navigating their next career move, I care about making the technology industry a place where more women can see themselves, find their path and thrive.
“Thank you, Cheryl, for helping me see that through-line more clearly, and for continuing to challenge me on what comes next.”
DDD Perth: What Women Want and What Every Ally Needs to Hear.
Mentoring women in tech through programs like i13n St Marys, She Codes, the Joondalup Innovation Challenge and Macquarie University's LUCY program.
Founded her.sorted to help women in small business adopt AI and technology with confidence, and get real jobs done themselves instead of waiting on someone else.
Awards 2026
Get in touch
Got a problem that needs sorting, or an idea that needs momentum? No hard sell, just a conversation.