Annie Sheehan
Program/PMO Manager
Areas Of Expertise:
- Portfolio, Program, and Project Leadership
- Agile Transformation Coach
- Financial Management
- PMO Establishment & Operation
Education:
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Business Studies, South Bank University
About Annie Sheehan
Annie is a compassionate, courageous, and strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in financial services and project delivery. She has a strong track record in leading large-scale initiatives, driving agile transformation, and uplifting leadership capability. Skilled in building and mentoring high-performing teams, Annie is also an executive coach and published author of two business books, bringing thought leadership and practical expertise to every engagement.
What Annie brings
- Coaching business and technology teams in Agile methodologies; recognised as a mentor for Agile coaches.
- Skilled in setting up and managing Project Management Offices, designing and implementing project delivery frameworks, optimising project performance and governance.
- Published author of two business books focused on improving project delivery for executives and their teams.
- Experienced in conveying complex concepts and engaging diverse audiences as a keynote speaker.
Key Clients:
- Navem Pty
- Project Management Institute
- MLC Life
- Telstra
- NAB
- Superpartners
- AXA Australia New Zealand
- Goldman Sachs JBWere
- The Walt Disney Company
- DST International
Key Achievements:
As Founder and Director of Navem Pty in Melbourne, Annie provided expert advice, training, coaching, and facilitation in project management and leadership for individuals, teams, and boards. She consulted with blue-chip companies, government bodies, and NFPs to uplift project delivery capability and designed top-rated programs in project sponsorship and portfolio governance. A published author and international conference speaker, Annie delivered thought leadership on topics such as AI, agile practices, project sponsorship, and managing complex people dynamics.
As Head of Client Engagement at the Project Management Institute (Australia and New Zealand), Annie managed relationships with major corporates such as Telstra, IBM, Ericsson, and Boeing, providing expert advice on project management best practices. She established an Agile Special Interest Group, leading to a global hybrid event with over 1,000 attendees, and founded the Women in Projects group to address gender challenges in the industry, securing corporate sponsorship and delivering impactful events.
As Portfolio Lead at MLC Life in Melbourne, Annie worked directly with the CEO to implement key responses to the Royal Commission’s recommendations, including the establishment of an Executive Governance forum to strengthen oversight and accountability.
As GM Change, Finance Transformation at Telstra in Melbourne, Annie played a key role in reshaping the Finance function to improve efficiency and agility. She also established a Process Improvement Community of Practice to drive continuous improvement across the organisation.
As Strategic Program Director at JBWere NAB, Annie was part of the CEO’s Executive Leadership Team, leading the delivery portfolio with a focus on client experience, benefits realisation, and cost efficiency. She established an Agile PMO with light governance, coached the ELT in project sponsorship, and transformed delivery capability reducing project risk from 75% “Red” to 0% in four months and improving cost efficiency by 30%. She also embedded Agile and Change Management practices across the organisation.
As Project Leader for the Sponsorship Capability Uplift Program at NAB, Annie enhanced project sponsorship capability across the organisation by developing the Sponsor Role Ready Program and support toolkit, while partnering closely with senior executives to drive leadership alignment and engagement.
As Agile Project Coach at NAB, Annie played a key role in mobilising a $1.5 billion project investment portfolio, mentoring executives in sponsorship and governance. She facilitated workshops to build strong business cases and capture lessons learned, and was a core contributor to the “Projects @ NAB” delivery framework a hybrid agile and predictive methodology that accelerated change, improved governance, reduced delivery time by 25%, and delivered 10–25% cost savings across portfolios.
As Capability Development Project Manager at NAB, Annie led a skills uplift program for the Retail Banking team, establishing a baseline for Business Analysis and Project Management capabilities to support targeted development and improved delivery outcomes.
As Business Program Manager at NAB, Annie managed a $30 million portfolio of small initiatives, led the organisation’s first enterprise-wide release, and established a successful Project Management Community of Practice to enhance capability and collaboration across teams.
As Senior Program Manager at Superpartners in Melbourne, Annie led end-to-end project delivery, managed a team of 40, and chaired IT Project Portfolio meetings. In her additional role as Acting PMO Manager, she oversaw portfolio resourcing, health checks, and capability development. She also successfully led the SAP Phase 2 program, restoring key business relationships and ensuring successful delivery.
As Program Manager at AXA Australia and New Zealand, Annie led a range of business and technology projects. In the business stream, she drove Business Simplification initiatives that reduced annual operating costs by $1 million. In the technology stream, she successfully managed the transition of AXA Business Services to India, earning commendation from auditors and the Group CEO.
As Capability Community of Practice Lead at AXA Australia and New Zealand, Annie led a group of twelve senior leaders dedicated to strengthening technical and leadership capabilities across the project delivery community, enhancing project outcomes and establishing clear career development pathways.
As Senior Program Manager at Goldman Sachs JBWere, Annie led several key initiatives, including the successful implementation of GST compliance across all IT systems recognised as one of the firm’s most effective programs. She also co-founded a Project Management Community of Practice, developing a delivery methodology and toolkit that improved project success rates.
As Manager of Systems Development at The Walt Disney Company, Annie developed integrated systems for the Asia Pacific and European regions, a role that involved extensive global collaboration and travel.
At DST International, Annie held several leadership roles across the UK, Singapore, and Australia. As Senior Consultant, she successfully turned around a high-risk client base, moving from litigation threats to satisfaction within 12 months. In Singapore, she co-founded the Asian office, achieving operating profit in its first year. Beginning her tenure in the UK, she progressed from Support Consultant to Team Manager in just 15 months, reflecting her strong leadership and delivery capability.
