Melissa Dark - CEO
Melissa Dark & Associates
Melissa Dark has sixteen years experience in organisational communication, ranging from public relations and media relations through to change management and organisation development.
Melissa's career history has covered small, medium and large businesses in government and private sector. She has managed change projects, cultural change programs, employee communication strategies and coached leaders and line managers in communication skills.
She founded Melissa Dark and Associates in 2005, a consultancy specialising in employee communication and is regarded by her clients as bringing a commonsense, practical approach to the most complex of issues.
Melissa has presented and chaired at a variety of conferences and industry events both in Australia and overseas. Her work has been published in business and academic publications and her work has been recognised by both the PRIA and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
With a BA in Management Communication and a Masters in Communication, Melissa is a capable and experienced communication leader. She is also the Immediate Past President of the Victorian Chapter of the IABC and takes an active role in developing and mentoring new practitioners.
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Adrian Cropley - CEO
Cropley Communications
It's hard to say when I first fell in love with internal communications as a profession as I guess I have a pretty eclectic background. My first passion was in my younger days as a chef working in a pretty busy Italian restaurant in a country town. The lack of social life and a craving for change saw me study business and move into the corporate world. After some years working as a staff development and operations manager, I found my passion for HR and internal communication. It was at this time back when the CEO and CFO asked me to take on a role to head up internal communications for Ericsson in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. It was funny, the reason given for my appointment by the CEO was, "Well you talk a lot and are a colourful guy! So will you take the role?" Pretty good reason I thought!
After cutting my teeth on the first market strategy (which was later used as the model for the first global strategy) and managing the many changes in the tumultuous business climate, I was hooked.
After 18 years in the communications field in both the private and public sectors. I thought it was time to stretch my wings and take on my own consultancy where is was able to work with clients includ ing Ernst & Young, Shell, NAB, Evolve, infosys and Telstra, and where I've been able to share some of my learning's and expertise on the areas of internal and change communication. It gives me an opportunity to take on coaching of executives and leaders within organisations as to there personal profile and leadership value proposition and communication style. It also gives a me a chance to continue with my other love for acting and from time to time pop up as an extra on TV and print, nothing too embarrassing yet!
What keeps me in love with the profession is knowing I can share my passion with others. Whether it's guest lecturing at RMIT, working with the Victoria board of the IABC in my role as President, writing articles or travelling the world conducting workshops or speaking at conferences. My biggest thrill's have been winning a Gold Quill for my CEO communications strategy, getting the key to the city of Castries in St Lucia for community service and working with the IABC on the many international committees.
My biggest thrill is about to happen with the Melcrum Black Belt program starting here in Australia. I cannot wait to work and share with the many professional internal communicators across the country and region, in combining our wealth and knowledge as part of the most intensive development program available for internal communicators. and at the end of this program know that participants will be able to say they are indeed a Black Belt internal communicator and join the many who made the grade across Europe.
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About us and Melcrum
As with Liam and Sue, we work closely with Melcrum in several areas - Black Belt is just one - but we don't work for them. That means we maintain an independent editorial line. Melcrum have very kindly set this blog up for us and they are making sure all the technology works in the background, but they are not involved in writing, editing or otherwise "vetting" the content in any way.
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