Rachel Sheldon

Background

About Rachel Sheldon

I thrive in environments where complex problems meet purpose-driven missions. With extensive experience across higher education and not-for-profit sectors, I've built a career transforming strategic challenges into measurable commercial success through collaborative leadership, authentic stakeholder engagement and strategic communications and marketing expertise. What energises me most is bringing together diverse teams to solve multifaceted problems. Whether leading strategic marketing initiatives, managing sensitive stakeholder communications during organisational change, or implementing new operating models, I focus on creating environments where people can do their best work while delivering commercial outcomes. I'm particularly passionate about mentoring and developing others, having experienced firsthand the impact of strong, inclusive leadership. This has shaped my approach to leading matrix teams and managing complex stakeholder relationships, always grounded in trust, clear communication, and shared purpose. Currently, I provide strategic counsel at the University of Melbourne, where I partner with academic and professional leaders to navigate reputation management and drive growth. Previously, at Beyond Blue, I led brand and content strategy initiatives that aligned organisational mission with commercial success. Key achievements: • Led $149.6M brand valuation and strategy project • Managed $5M strategic partnership delivery • Achieved 50% operational efficiency through transformation • Increased revenue 25% through strategic marketing initiatives I'm always interested in connecting with fellow professionals who share my passion for purpose-driven leadership, strategic problem-solving, and creating positive change through effective communications. My areas of expertise include:* Strategic leadership in complex environments * Change management and transformation expertise * Commercial acumen and budget management * Stakeholder management at executive level * Brand strategy and valuation experience * Crisis communications and reputation management Please connect with me here on LinkedIn, or at rachel.sheldon@yahoo.com.au.