Meet The Team
Taleen Shamlian
Founder and Managing Director
Taleen has 25 years of experience as a Non-Executive Director and trusted adviser to boards, executives and Ministers.
She has a demonstrated history within the government, corporate, NFP and academic sectors, with expertise in economics, public policy and stakeholder governance.
Her NED positions include the NSW Government’s Council for Women’s Economic Opportunity (CWEO), NSW Government’s Radiation Advisory Council (RAC), and various professional and community boards.
She has deep knowledge of the financial services sector having advised various parties to the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, and worked as Head of Government Relations at Visa and the Commonwealth Bank.
She also specialises in public sector management including as an economist at Commonwealth Treasury, advising Commonwealth and State governments as a senior manager at the ACIL Allen Consulting and Centre for Corporate Public Affairs, and currently lecturing in public sector management for the APS Commission and State Public Service Commissions (through QUT Business School).
She has advised various industries including health and social services, environmental and other sectors.
Taleen is a thought leader, speaker and media commentator (for AICD, AFR, Women on Boards, PwC, EY, USYD) to discuss governance, financial services, women’s empowerment, and other matters.
She has published economic reports, including on superannuation co-written by Dr Vince FitzGerald and launched by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Taleen was an Ambassador for Women’s Financial skills for the NSW Government, and was recognised by the NSW Governor of NSW The Hon. Margaret Beazley to be one of the top 20 women in business.
She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Master of Public Policy (Merit) and Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) both from the University of Sydney.
John Mangos
Associate
John Mangos has had a thirty-six year career in journalism, the past thirty-three years in television and has most recently been a news presenter for the Seven Network and is a regular guest on the Sunrise and Morning Show programs.
Prior to this he was a senior news anchor at Skynews Australia for fifteen years.
John started his career with the Nine Network where his roles included general news, state politics in NSW, a three year stint in the Federal Parliamentary Gallery, and a three year stint as Nine’s bureau chief in the United States.
He returned from the US to work with Graham Kennedy on Coast to Coast, to anchor Ten’s Eyewitness News for a year and to host his own morning chat program on the Seven Network, At Home With John Mangos, for two years.
Concurrently over the past ten years John started his own media training business which has seen him work closely with and coach some of Australia’s leading business and political figures.
Stephen Feneley
Associate
Stephen Feneley’s career as a journalist and communications coach spans more than three decades.
He has worked as a reporter and commentator in newspapers, broadcasting & on-line publishing, including extensive experience as a foreign correspondent. He has trained and advised senior executives in a wide range of global corporations, listed companies, public sector organisations and advocacy groups in Australia, Asia, the UK and throughout Europe.
In Australia his clients have included Commonwealth Bank, Bankwest, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, AAPT, Optus, Telstra, Pacific Brands, QBE, Mirvac, Royal & Sun Alliance, BHP Billiton, Oz Minerals, Esso/Mobil, Fosters, SAB Miller, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Allergen, Novartis, the Business Council of Australia, DDB, Fairfax, Disney, PwC, NRL, Canterbury Bulldogs, Carlton FC, Australian Cricketers’ Association.
In the UK, Europe and Asia he has conducted training for various corporate and not-for-profit clients, including BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, BBC World News, Oxford University Press, Regus, Northern Trust, Scottish Power, Henderson Global Investors, GAM, ArcelorMittal, QBE, AIG, Atos Origin, Alcatel Lucent, The Hartford, Orchard Street Investment Management, CenterParcs, Sodexo, Monarch Airlines and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.
Michael Swannell
Associate
Michael has a 35-year career built on management and technical expertise that spans management consulting, financial services and information technology. He has worked in the payments industry for over 20 years and has undertaken work for domestic and international banks, fintechs, technology providers, card issuers and merchants.
He has consulted and provided strategic advice to a wide range of organisations including the Federal Government, RACQ Bank, ME Bank, Bank of Sydney, Qudos Bank, Teachers Mutual Bank, Beyond Bank, Hume Bank, Xinja, Change Financial, AusPayNet, eftpos, BPAY, Adakin Capital (US), Obendorf Enterprises (US), McKinsey & Company (Dubai), Bain and Company (India), and Yarra Capital Management.
Michael has extensive experience as a payments policy advocate and has been active in consultations and reviews with ACCC, RBA, Treasury, and the Attorney General’s Department.
He has been involved in many of Australia's industry-wide payments projects including the build of the real-time payments system (NPP), establishment of the domestic card payments scheme (eftpos), and the implementation of mandatory PIN for debit and credit cards.
Michael is currently a Board Director for Cairns Bank, an Advisory Board Member for Bleu Australia, and a Panel Member for Australian Payments Network’s Sanctions Tribunal.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science from Macquarie University.
Kathy Lindsay
Associate
Kathy is a stakeholder relations, public affairs and communications advisor with over 30 years of experience , with 16 of those years in Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. She has directed in-house communications teams, headed up business to government advocacy efforts and managed political campaigns.
For ten years, Kathy was with strategic communications agency Jackson Wells Morris and Wells Haslem Mayhew in Sydney. Kathy advised on strategic stakeholder engagement, prepared communications and coached spokespeople for public appearances. She was previously the media manager at the Business Council of Australia (BCA).
In Jakarta (2010-2015), Kathy managed business development for PwC Indonesia and was the head of internal communications at Lehman Brothers in Tokyo (2004-2008).
While in Bangkok (1997-2001), Kathy was the executive director of the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce, reporting to an multinational board and running an all-Thai staff. She managed the Board’s engagement with the Thai Government, liaised with senior Thai government officials and other foreign chambers on regulatory issues, and coordinated involvement in Government-led trade missions.
She holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland and started her career at National Australia Bank.
Honner
Partner
Advisory Street has partnered with Honner who is one of Australia’s leading communications specialists in the financial and corporate sector. Honner’s difference is their in-depth industry knowledge – and the networks they can offer clients. Visit Honner here.
Zina Wilshire
Research and administrative assistant
Zina provides research and administrative assistant duties. She specialises in government and international relations, global security and gender. She is also advising the strategic philanthropy group associated with the International Committee of the Red Cross Global Women Leaders in content and communications management and conducting feasibility research on their humanitarian projects. Zina holds a Bachelor of International Studies, with majors in Spanish and International Relations.