John Ferris

John Ferris is an Organisational Psychologist and Management Consultant with over 25 years consulting experience in industry and commerce in Australia and overseas. He is an Honours graduate in Organisational Psychology from The University of Queensland. He is a Fellow and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In 1991 John established Ferris Management Consultants Pty Ltd to provide consulting support on organisation and management issues and on the assessment and selection of key people.

John has experience working with boards and senior management in established organisations and in the development of new projects. Specific work has included definition of goals and organisation culture, strategy development, organisation review, executive recruitment including advertising and search, performance development and psychological appraisal.

His areas of specialisation have been applied across a range of industries in both private and public sectors. Specific industry experience includes mining, energy, transport and logistics, port operations, hospitality, food and beverage, architecture, construction and professional services.

John has worked on consulting projects for organisations throughout Australia, and has successfully completed search and selection assignments for senior positions in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, India, Hong Kong, Mauritania and Italy. He has a broad range of experience in management consulting and has developed long-standing commercial relationships with clients. His experience includes his own consulting assignments as well as the management of consulting teams engaged in development of organisation culture, industrial relations strategy, training and development of managerial and supervisory teams and recruitment of senior managerial and technical staff.

Typical projects include:

Nerida Hillberg

Nerida Hillberg, Director – Psychology, joined Ferris Management Consultants in 2002. In addition to her Australian and international executive recruitment and selection work, Nerida is involved in employee assistance programs, outplacement, organisational diagnosis and review, implementation of management team development strategies, and facilitation of cultural change.

Following her First Class Honours Degree in Psychology, Nerida was awarded a PhD in Organisational Psychology for her international research program that examined employee coping, strain and tension during mergers and acquisitions. This work has provided her with an advanced understanding of the broader commercial issues facing small, medium and large organisations. She is a Member of both the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Human Resources Institute.

Previously, she worked in Human Resources for four years, first as an Employment Consultant and later as a Training Coordinator. Specific work included:

Kasia Gordon

Kasia Gordon is a registered Psychologist with a demonstrated ability to analyse, recruit, motivate, and develop at the individual, team and organisational level.

Following her Honours in Psychology, Kasia was awarded her Masters in Organisational Psychology from the University of Queensland. Her postgraduate thesis examined the experiences of employees in the Australian mining industry given their perceptions of strain, coping styles and support. This study possessed practical implications for the attraction and retention of women to the Queensland minerals sector, further awarding Kasia the opportunity to circulate and convey her research within industry. 

Kasia is currently a Member of the Alliancing Association of Australasia (AAA) and the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI). Kasia has previously practiced as a Psychologist and an Organisational Development Consultant across public and private sector roles, developing a wide range of professional experience in:

• the facilitation of strategic planning workshops;
• individual, team, and project-wide psychometric assessment;
• leadership, management training and development;
• organisational survey design, development and analysis;
• the enquiry and execution of attraction and retention initiatives;
• clinical assessment and short-term intervention;
• human resource management and evaluation;
• the promotion of organisational effectiveness by way of team processes.

Kasia’s interests and objectives as a practitioner rest largely in organisational development, analysis and continuity. Her ability to share outcomes with clients across a range of contexts allows for flexibility, compassion and diversity in her approach. She expresses a genuine commitment to optimising performance and building lasting client relationships.

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Brett Somers

Brett Somers is a registered Psychologist with several years experience working with a variety of government and private sector organisations. Brett has completed postgraduate qualifications in Cognitive Psychology. His Psychology Honours thesis investigated decision making and memory in sport and how stress can cause decision biases. Brett has undertaken additional research since then. His most recent research looked at employment satisfaction and how an individual’s attachment style can affect their satisfaction when working with colleagues and the public.

Brett has experience in comprehensively assessing individuals who are seeking employment and identifying their strengths through clinical assessment and psychometric testing. Other areas of interest and experience include:

• psychometric testing at the individual and group level;
• analysis and interpretation of personality, intelligence and behavioural inventories;
• short-term intervention;
• conducting and evaluating research;
• facilitating small group training.

Within his previous role, Brett was also given the opportunity to work with individuals who required clinical support. Intervention was typically provided when an individual’s employment was in jeopardy. Brett has the capacity to provide brief therapeutic intervention to those who are acutely distressed.

Brett has also gained management experience, assisting private and commercial property owners to manage their investments.

Brett has joined Ferris with a keen interest in executive recruitment and organisational design and structure. Brett is committed to assisting clients meet their desired objectives while maintaining a high level of professionalism.

Shermonika Walker

Shermonika Walker is a provisionally registered Psychologist with a demonstrated ability to manage a large client base. Shermonika has completed a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and is currently completing her Masters of Organisational Psychology at Griffith University. Her thesis will examine the relationship between leadership style, leader-member exchange and psychological capital.

Shermonika is a member of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulations Agency and a student member of the Australian Psychological Society. She has experience in case management and risk assessment in a public sector environment. She has developed a knowledge and professional experience in:

• psychometric administration and interpretation;
• behavioural interviewing and provision of feedback;
• employment suitability assessment;
• workplace counselling and intervention;
• psychological research;
• mediation, coaching and conflict resolution;
• leadership development.

Shermonika’s interests lie in leadership, organisational and team development, and executive recruitment. With a high level of communication, Shermonika displays drive and integrity and she is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for clients.