Leah McPherson
Growth. Change. Pressure.
Delivery can’t wait.
Growth and change are exciting - and relentless. New priorities land before the existing ones are done. I'm a senior delivery leader who steps in when your organisation needs someone to take ownership, clear the path, and get the right things moving. Practical, focused, and genuinely invested in what you're trying to build.
Where I step in.
I work primarily with non-profit organisations and purpose-driven leaders. I understand the funding pressures, the board dynamics, and what's at stake when important work doesn't get delivered.
Clients call me when something important needs to happen — and there's no one with the time, or the role, to make it happen.
Maybe new funding has come through and now everyone's looking at each other wondering who's going to deliver it. Maybe there are three leaders all doing their best, but no one actually owns the thing. Or maybe you're working across organisations - lots of goodwill, not enough structure - and progress keeps stalling.
That's where I come in. I take ownership of the messy middle — the coordination, the planning, the decisions that keep getting deferred — so your critical projects get delivered.
“Leah's calm competence, kindness and humour are highly recommended to any organisation that is looking for senior project capacity.”
– El Gibbs
Chief Executive
What I do.
Whether you’re launching something new, or managing something complex, I can help.
Project set-up and early delivery
New initiatives have a way of stalling before they start. Stakeholders aren't aligned. Funders want paperwork. Boards want certainty. No one's sure who owns what.
I lead the early stages - turning the idea into a real plan, getting the right people on board, and building the confidence and momentum you need to get moving. Work plans, budgets, governance papers, funder reporting - I handle the architecture so you don't have to.
Coordinating complex project delivery
When a project spans multiple teams, departments, or organisations, the hardest part isn't the work - it's the coordination. Things fall through gaps. Decisions wait on the wrong meeting. Progress slows.
I provide focused leadership to keep stakeholders aligned, decisions moving, and momentum from dying. Someone has to hold the whole thing together. That's my job.
Delivery transition and advisory support
When it's time for your internal leader to take over, I don't just hand over a folder and disappear.
I offer a structured handover period - sharing context, unpacking the delivery dynamics, and helping your new leader make confident decisions from day one.
"… smart as a tack, proactive and incredibly focused.”
– Jeff Smith
Chief Executive
Let’s talk.
No drawn-out process. No proposals before we've spoken.
Book a 20-minute call. We'll get straight to it - what you're working on, where things are stuck, and whether I'm the right person to help. If I'm not, I'll point you to someone who is.
Either way, you'll leave with more clarity than you arrived with.
What my clients say.
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"Leah added her smart, strategic skills at the early stages of a large project, with critical deadlines and deliverables. Her ability to project plan and implement, as well as flag areas of concern to leadership, took pressure off the senior team and the CEO, and got the project off the ground. Leah's calm competence, kindness and humour are highly recommended to any organisation that is looking for senior project capacity."
— El Gibbs
Chief Executive -
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"It’s not often you find someone who can work with so many moving parts, cater to so many different needs, and do it professionally and with ease. Leah is one of these rare people and I would work with her again in a heartbeat."
— Aerin Gordon Heinrich
Director -
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“Leah has been a delightful and indispensable addition to our project team, being both constructive, flexible and well-liked. She is smart as a tack, proactive and incredibly focused.”
— Jeff Smith
Chief Executive -
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“Leah's ability to connect with a wide variety of people in a warm-yet-professional way, has ensured our managers are significantly better informed and prepared for next year than we could possibly have been without her help.”
— Tim Williams
Chief Executive
