Nic Quilty
Nic Quilty

Chief Executive at WasteMINZ

Alicia is up-front and tells it like it is. She is also very good at engaging with the audience. Alicia doesn't read off notes. She gave us learnings and tools we could take away and use. It was inspirational, funny, and vulnerable. I would recommend Alicia for events where you want to challenge your delegates' thinking, inspire them, and make them think differently.

Nic Quilty
Nic Quilty

Chief Executive at WasteMINZ

Alicia is up-front and tells it like it is. She is also very good at engaging with the audience. Alicia doesn't read off notes. She gave us learnings and tools we could take away and use. It was inspirational, funny, and vulnerable. I would recommend Alicia for events where you want to challenge your delegates' thinking, inspire them, and make them think differently.

Jun 7, 2024

Jun 7, 2024

Paul Bennett
Paul Bennett

General Manager, Tamworth Regional Council

THANK YOU for your incredible positive impact on our organisation during 2020. All of our Strategic Projects have progressed in line with our original plans. We have established a new and reinvigorated Executive Team, have regular strategic sessions to evaluate our performance and stay on track, and are finally starting to trust our managers and staff to do their jobs without feeling like we have to meddle/interfere. The change has been noticed not only by our staff and Councillors but by many of our community stakeholders, who have commented on the progressive, positive and proactive attitude that is now becoming evident across all areas of our operations. You taught me so much about my role, purpose, approach, and attitude. You opened my eyes to obstacles that were right in front of me, but they had become so much a part of the scenery that I had become almost oblivious to their impacts on our progress. You are a star.

Paul Bennett
Paul Bennett

General Manager, Tamworth Regional Council

THANK YOU for your incredible positive impact on our organisation during 2020. All of our Strategic Projects have progressed in line with our original plans. We have established a new and reinvigorated Executive Team, have regular strategic sessions to evaluate our performance and stay on track, and are finally starting to trust our managers and staff to do their jobs without feeling like we have to meddle/interfere. The change has been noticed not only by our staff and Councillors but by many of our community stakeholders, who have commented on the progressive, positive and proactive attitude that is now becoming evident across all areas of our operations. You taught me so much about my role, purpose, approach, and attitude. You opened my eyes to obstacles that were right in front of me, but they had become so much a part of the scenery that I had become almost oblivious to their impacts on our progress. You are a star.

Dec 17, 2020

Dec 17, 2020

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Ebel Kremer

Southland District Councilor at Southland District Council

Alicia is straight up! She challenges every one in the room. Visionary. Alicia is an exceptional facilitator who understands the topic. She’s easy to listen to and interacts well with participants. Highly recommended! Many thanks for a great day Alicia.
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Ebel Kremer

Southland District Councilor at Southland District Council

Alicia is straight up! She challenges every one in the room. Visionary. Alicia is an exceptional facilitator who understands the topic. She’s easy to listen to and interacts well with participants. Highly recommended! Many thanks for a great day Alicia.

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

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Bodo Hellberg

Senior Consent Officer at Tauranga City Council

Very straight forward, no time wasting. As she said, we did a days work in half a day and her local government insight helped us. Thanks for facilitating the workshop. I took more away than I was hoping for.
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Bodo Hellberg

Senior Consent Officer at Tauranga City Council

Very straight forward, no time wasting. As she said, we did a days work in half a day and her local government insight helped us. Thanks for facilitating the workshop. I took more away than I was hoping for.

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

Neels Janse van Rensburg
Neels Janse van Rensburg

Group Chief Executive Officer, Bible Society Incorporated

If you want your leadership, strategy and management paradigms to be challenged, look no further than Alicia McKay. Her professional, unorthodox and no nonsense approach helps organisations take bold and courageous steps towards the future. Our leadership experience with her enabled us to re-direct/prioritize our thinking or strategic priorities helping us navigate through difficult situation especially our current challenges brought on by Covid19.
Neels Janse van Rensburg
Neels Janse van Rensburg

Group Chief Executive Officer, Bible Society Incorporated

If you want your leadership, strategy and management paradigms to be challenged, look no further than Alicia McKay. Her professional, unorthodox and no nonsense approach helps organisations take bold and courageous steps towards the future. Our leadership experience with her enabled us to re-direct/prioritize our thinking or strategic priorities helping us navigate through difficult situation especially our current challenges brought on by Covid19.

Nov 29, 2022

Nov 29, 2022

Mayurie Gunatilaka
Mayurie Gunatilaka

Principal & NZ Country Leader at Arup

Alicia leads high energy, high impact strategy sessions assisting teams solve a range of complex problems. She has a unique ability to assist teams lift up from operational to strategic thinking whist also ensuring we are having a lot of fun along the way. I have thoroughly enjoyed and learnt from our strategy sessions with Alicia and would recommend her to anyone who is looking at clarifying their organisational strategy to solving complex customer issues and engaging their teams. Above all she is incredibly talented and fun to work with!
Mayurie Gunatilaka
Mayurie Gunatilaka

Principal & NZ Country Leader at Arup

Alicia leads high energy, high impact strategy sessions assisting teams solve a range of complex problems. She has a unique ability to assist teams lift up from operational to strategic thinking whist also ensuring we are having a lot of fun along the way. I have thoroughly enjoyed and learnt from our strategy sessions with Alicia and would recommend her to anyone who is looking at clarifying their organisational strategy to solving complex customer issues and engaging their teams. Above all she is incredibly talented and fun to work with!

Nov 29, 2022

Nov 29, 2022

Dr Lyndsey Dance
Dr Lyndsey Dance

CEO, Safer Farms

Don’t even hesitate - just get this superbly intelligent lady on board to help you and/or you org achieve greatness! Alicia literally fizzes with energy and captures the attention and focus of any audience in order to help guide and facilitate the generation of ideas into a meaningful outcomes. This is no easy feat when dealing with an ultra busy executive leadership team yet Alicia managed it with easy, over a short space of time (6 weeks!) during exceptional circumstances (COVID-19, level 4). By the end of the 6 weeks we had a clear direction of where we needed to steer our organisation in terms of project investments and understood the fundamental principles of sound, robust, practical and GOOD decision making!! Not bad for 6 weeks, eh?! (Thanks Alicia!)
Dr Lyndsey Dance
Dr Lyndsey Dance

CEO, Safer Farms

Don’t even hesitate - just get this superbly intelligent lady on board to help you and/or you org achieve greatness! Alicia literally fizzes with energy and captures the attention and focus of any audience in order to help guide and facilitate the generation of ideas into a meaningful outcomes. This is no easy feat when dealing with an ultra busy executive leadership team yet Alicia managed it with easy, over a short space of time (6 weeks!) during exceptional circumstances (COVID-19, level 4). By the end of the 6 weeks we had a clear direction of where we needed to steer our organisation in terms of project investments and understood the fundamental principles of sound, robust, practical and GOOD decision making!! Not bad for 6 weeks, eh?! (Thanks Alicia!)

Nov 29, 2022

Nov 29, 2022

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Lyndsey Dance

General Manager Strategy & Investment, Executive Leadership Team at Stats NZ

Our workshops were relaxed and inclusive and ensured everyone participated and had a voice. Alicia's style is so energising that it didn't matter what time of the day the sessions were scheduled, everyone found themselves focused and paying attention, ready to contribute.
LD
Lyndsey Dance

General Manager Strategy & Investment, Executive Leadership Team at Stats NZ

Our workshops were relaxed and inclusive and ensured everyone participated and had a voice. Alicia's style is so energising that it didn't matter what time of the day the sessions were scheduled, everyone found themselves focused and paying attention, ready to contribute.

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

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Emma Speight

Director Regional Relationships at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Alicia never gave up, even when achieving an outcome appeared unlikely!
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Emma Speight

Director Regional Relationships at Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Alicia never gave up, even when achieving an outcome appeared unlikely!

Dec 22, 2022

Dec 22, 2022

David Mackay
David Mackay
Deputy Secretary - Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

A huge thank you for your outstanding presentation to my team this afternoon. I’ve had so much great feedback on your session, and some of your phrases have already entered our lexicon. I am very grateful to you for having brought your wisdom, experience, and obvious enthusiasm for the local government sector to our meeting today. Thanks again

David Mackay
David Mackay
Deputy Secretary - Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

A huge thank you for your outstanding presentation to my team this afternoon. I’ve had so much great feedback on your session, and some of your phrases have already entered our lexicon. I am very grateful to you for having brought your wisdom, experience, and obvious enthusiasm for the local government sector to our meeting today. Thanks again

Nov 23, 2023

Nov 23, 2023

Katie Clements
Katie Clements

Councillor | Mildura Rural City Council

I learned that I need to be in the WHY, not the WHAT. I would recommend this programme for any person who is in middle leadership in the public sphere, private enterprise or the education sector.
Katie Clements
Katie Clements

Councillor | Mildura Rural City Council

I learned that I need to be in the WHY, not the WHAT. I would recommend this programme for any person who is in middle leadership in the public sphere, private enterprise or the education sector.

Feb 21, 2025

Feb 21, 2025

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Rebecca Matthews
@RebeccaJEmm
Local Legends by Alicia McKay has been doing the rounds with councillors after a recommendation from our Observer, and it should be required reading for anyone in local government. Honestly, it’s affirming my focus on long term, high level decision making - peak not paddock. x.com/RebeccaJEmm/status/1927816956842852834/photo/1
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May 28, 2025

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ICMA - International City/County Management Association
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What does it take to lead communities with purpose, strategy, and staying power? At #ICMA2025, three powerful voices will help answer that question. Lindsey Cormack unpacks how civic readiness starts with everyday leadership. Doug Griffiths, MBA challenges us to confront what really holds communities back. And Alicia McKay delivers sharp, actionable insights on how to lead with vision and impact. These aren’t just sessions, they’re sparks for transformation. Discover more and register today! lnkd.in/geAC4Xjt
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ICMA - International City/County Management Association
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What does it take to lead communities with purpose, strategy, and staying power? At #ICMA2025, three powerful voices will help answer that question. Lindsey Cormack unpacks how civic readiness starts with everyday leadership. Doug Griffiths, MBA challenges us to confront what really holds communities back. And Alicia McKay delivers sharp, actionable insights on how to lead with vision and impact. These aren’t just sessions, they’re sparks for transformation. Discover more and register today! lnkd.in/geAC4Xjt
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Sep 20, 2025

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Sep 20, 2025

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LG Professionals, NSW
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Strategic Public Leaders: Build the Skills to Lead with Clarity and Confidence   🗓️ 18 - 19 September 2025 📍 The Branksome Hotel and Residences, Mascot 👉 Register now: lnkd.in/g6aZgaCS 📣 Attention senior and mid-tier local government managers – are you ready to rise above the operational noise and lead with greater strategic impact?   The demands on local government are growing - more initiatives, tighter resources, higher expectations. If you're caught in a reactive cycle, struggling to move strategic projects forward, or finding it tough to engage Councillors and your team… you're not alone.   Strategic Public Leaders is a two-day intensive designed specifically for leaders like you. Delivered by renowned facilitator and local government strategist Alicia McKay, this course is packed with practical tools and frameworks to help you: ✔️ Make confident, high-impact decisions ✔️ Align daily work with long-term strategy ✔️ Navigate governance and leadership roles with clarity ✔️ Tackle complexity using systems thinking ✔️ Shift from operational manager to strategic public leader   Whether you're delivering on an ambitious work program or trying to build stronger alignment with your elected members, this course will help you lead with intention, direction and purpose.   🧠 Strategic skills can be learned. Let’s build them together.   #LocalGovernment #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicLeadership #PublicSectorLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #AliciaMcKay #Councils #LGProfessionalsNSW
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LG Professionals, NSW
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Strategic Public Leaders: Build the Skills to Lead with Clarity and Confidence   🗓️ 18 - 19 September 2025 📍 The Branksome Hotel and Residences, Mascot 👉 Register now: lnkd.in/g6aZgaCS 📣 Attention senior and mid-tier local government managers – are you ready to rise above the operational noise and lead with greater strategic impact?   The demands on local government are growing - more initiatives, tighter resources, higher expectations. If you're caught in a reactive cycle, struggling to move strategic projects forward, or finding it tough to engage Councillors and your team… you're not alone.   Strategic Public Leaders is a two-day intensive designed specifically for leaders like you. Delivered by renowned facilitator and local government strategist Alicia McKay, this course is packed with practical tools and frameworks to help you: ✔️ Make confident, high-impact decisions ✔️ Align daily work with long-term strategy ✔️ Navigate governance and leadership roles with clarity ✔️ Tackle complexity using systems thinking ✔️ Shift from operational manager to strategic public leader   Whether you're delivering on an ambitious work program or trying to build stronger alignment with your elected members, this course will help you lead with intention, direction and purpose.   🧠 Strategic skills can be learned. Let’s build them together.   #LocalGovernment #LeadershipDevelopment #StrategicLeadership #PublicSectorLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #AliciaMcKay #Councils #LGProfessionalsNSW
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Sep 20, 2025

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Sep 20, 2025

Carolyn Dick
Carolyn Dick

Strategic Planning Manager, Horowhenua District Council

I've just completed Meetings that Matter and am excited to have a toolkit I can use immediately to make my meetings and the results of them better.
Carolyn Dick
Carolyn Dick

Strategic Planning Manager, Horowhenua District Council

I've just completed Meetings that Matter and am excited to have a toolkit I can use immediately to make my meetings and the results of them better.

Jul 3, 2025

Jul 3, 2025

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LG Professionals, NSW
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The Strategic Public Leaders course is officially underway! This intensive, two-day program is designed for local government leaders to develop essential strategic skills. Led by local government leadership and strategy expert Alicia McKay, the course kicked off with an engaging session on strategy 101. There is great energy in the room as leaders begin their journey of leveling up their strategic skills, elevating their impact, and future-proofing their careers. ✅ #localgovernment #strategicpublicleaders
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LG Professionals, NSW
linkedin logo
The Strategic Public Leaders course is officially underway! This intensive, two-day program is designed for local government leaders to develop essential strategic skills. Led by local government leadership and strategy expert Alicia McKay, the course kicked off with an engaging session on strategy 101. There is great energy in the room as leaders begin their journey of leveling up their strategic skills, elevating their impact, and future-proofing their careers. ✅ #localgovernment #strategicpublicleaders
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Sep 20, 2025

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Sep 20, 2025

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Chris Reid

Radio New Zealand

I thoroughly enjoyed the Strategy 101 course and the Mini Not an MBA. I am chuffed to 'officially know more about strategy than my boss' and will make an appointment with his EA so I can tell him immediately.
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Chris Reid

Radio New Zealand

I thoroughly enjoyed the Strategy 101 course and the Mini Not an MBA. I am chuffed to 'officially know more about strategy than my boss' and will make an appointment with his EA so I can tell him immediately.

Sep 8, 2025

Sep 8, 2025

John Vastianos
John Vastianos

Chief Financial Officer - Glen Eira City Council

The most valuable things I learned were around the decision making process, public vs private, decision making. I found Alicia's teaching style to be excellent, engaging and uplifting. I loved the role playing and getting to know new Councillors and reinforcing concepts.
John Vastianos
John Vastianos

Chief Financial Officer - Glen Eira City Council

The most valuable things I learned were around the decision making process, public vs private, decision making. I found Alicia's teaching style to be excellent, engaging and uplifting. I loved the role playing and getting to know new Councillors and reinforcing concepts.

Nov 25, 2024

Nov 25, 2024

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Rachel Brophy

Transformational Systems Thinker | Strategist | Change Agent | Building Social Impact

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I was incredibly fortunate to hear Alicia McKay at the LGMA Conference. This is the 2nd time I've heard Alicia speak - her down to earth, pragmatic insights are always a great reminder of why Local Government matters!!
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Rachel Brophy

Transformational Systems Thinker | Strategist | Change Agent | Building Social Impact

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I was incredibly fortunate to hear Alicia McKay at the LGMA Conference. This is the 2nd time I've heard Alicia speak - her down to earth, pragmatic insights are always a great reminder of why Local Government matters!!
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Sep 20, 2025

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Sep 20, 2025

Rebecca Crossling
Rebecca Crossling

Councillor | Mildura Rural City Council

I loved the sessions with Alicia. Alicia's workshop was fun and unpretentious. She has a craft to speak to everybody in the room, no matter where they sit in the organisation and connect with them in a meaningful way.
Rebecca Crossling
Rebecca Crossling

Councillor | Mildura Rural City Council

I loved the sessions with Alicia. Alicia's workshop was fun and unpretentious. She has a craft to speak to everybody in the room, no matter where they sit in the organisation and connect with them in a meaningful way.

Feb 24, 2025

Feb 24, 2025