Our People

• Paul Nankivell - Managing Director
  Paul is the chairman and managing director of PDP Australia. Paul has over 25 years international project experience, undertaking a wide range of economic development, public policy and regulatory reform projects. He combines a successful track record in economic policy strategy studies and public management reform with project management and implementation skills. Paul has been instrumental in leading public finance and civil and administrative reforms, and supporting the decentralisation process, with a particular focus on local government aspects. Fundamental to the pursuit of results-focused public management is his strong focus on change management and increasing technical capacities of counterpart staff.
  
  Between 2000 and 2004, Paul played a key role in the New South Wales State Government local government reform through his leadership as Mayor of Quirindi Council. He enhanced the management of the council using best value/best practice principles and local government leadership to transform the local government area to the fastest growing regional council in the state and to become a major beneficiary of local government reform.
  
  Paul has a Master of Economics from the University of New England (Australia) and a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Adelaide (Australia). He is a member of the Institute of Public Administration of Australia, the International Economics and Finance Society, Australian Business Economists, and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
  

   

  
  
• Peter Nelson - Operations Director
  Peter is responsible for oversight of PDP’s operations from the companies Head Office in Sydney. He has expertise in a broad spectrum of development assistance, covering work in 51 countries on project management, policy analysis, business development, restructuring, public enterprise reform, SME development, financial management and governance.
  
  Peter has both private and public sector experience, running major companies as well as working with multilaterals (such as World Bank, ADB, UNDP and EU) and bilateral agencies (such as AusAID, Danida and JICA). He is a highly accomplished project manager and team leader, having played a leading role in the implementation and successful execution of a wide variety of projects, including as head of the EU’s largest project in China where he was founder and financier of the China-EU Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining PDP’s Head Office, Peter worked with the company in a consulting capacity.
  
  Peter completed a BEc and MSc at Sydney University before studying higher qualifications as an Australian Fellow Chartered Accountant. He has also obtained a PhD (HC) from the London College of Applied Science for work on “Present day accounting” as well as studying Law at the University of London.
  

    

  
  
• Robin Boumphrey - Associate Director
  Robin is responsible for oversight of PDP’s operations in the Philippines and South East Asia region. He has exceptional expertise in the design and implementation of reform and institution building programs as well as extensive experience in the supervision of technical assistance and delivery of quality outcomes to meet client expectations. Robin’s skills and experience are demonstrated most prominently through his 30 years in senior strategic direction and management roles in the ADB.
  
  Robin has a Master of Arts in Economics from the Simon Fraser University (Canada) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Economics and Sociology from Durham University (UK). He maintains a professional affiliation with the Society for International Development and the International Society for Economics and Finance.
  
  

    

  
  
• Darrell Freund - Senior Finance and Governance Specialist
  Darrell has 10 years experience in the fields of financial and economic management, public management and administration, public sector reform, capacity building and good governance arrangements for local, state and national governments in the United States, Pacific, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. He is experienced in developing management and strategic improvement and development plans for various municipal, state and national governments and advising on the re-design and re-engineering of public financial, economic and human resource management. This has involved the provision of advice in relation to budget formulation and implementation, budget execution processes and systems, human resource planning and design, and preparation of related manuals and implementation tools including training programs for intergovernmental financial management and municipal and local council financial management.
  
  Darrell has a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University (USA) and a Bachelor of Political Science from Pennsylvania State University (USA).
  

    

  
  
• Lesleigh Henning - Public Finance Specialist
  Les has over 25 years professional experience as a public finance specialist, with 10 years international consulting practice. He has provided high-level policy advice to both Australian and international governments in Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and South Africa. Les has taken a lead advisory role in relation to public finance issues, particularly with regards to budgetary and public expenditure management policy and practices. His recent undertakings have focused on the review and recommendation of reforms in budget preparation, implementation, reporting and monitoring and the shift to performance-based program budgets, together with corresponding organisational changes. He has also undertaken a number of functional and expenditure reviews with the purpose of improving overall expenditure allocations and returns across all levels of government.
  
  Les was previously a senior executive in the Australian public service, working in the Queensland Office of the Cabinet, Queensland Treasury and Australian Department of Finance. He played a key role in the design and implementation of wide-ranging reforms, including comprehensive reform of the public financial management system with a focus on performance management, and imparted policy advice to Cabinet on industry and financial and budgetary issues. He also held responsibility for analysis and preparation of budgets for numerous state departments.
  
  Les holds a Master of Political Economy and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland (Australia).

    

  
  
• Ding Bawm - ICT Specialist
  Ding is an ICT specialist with over eight years professional experience in the Asia Pacific region. He has worked on a number of international projects with specific responsibility for financial systems development, database design and construction of corporate information and knowledge systems for both government and private sector entities. These undertakings have involved the design and implementation of a range of management information systems, design of interactive reporting tools such as data-driven dynamic websites, multi-user database applications, and definition of user requirements focusing on the overall information and knowledge management requirements of all stakeholders. He has provided expert advice in relation to FMIS planning, resource allocation and decision-making at different levels of the organisation structure and prepared associated communications strategies and action plans to ensure appropriate information flows.
  
  Ding has experience in the construction of government FMIS including integrating budget modules and related software applications, development of related database architecture and design and its integration with the wider public expenditure management system. A major component of all his assignments has been the production of comprehensive technical materials including operations manuals and extensive training of local staff.
  
  Ding holds a Bachelor of Science in Computing from Macquarie University (Australia) and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Yangon University (Myanmar).
  

   

  
  
• Dean Wallace - Senior Public Finance Specialist
  Dean is a highly accomplished public finance specialist, with over 40 years experience in the public sector, including in Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East. His work has covered all areas of public finance management, with a particular focus on budget analysis and policy. Dean has hands-on experience of budget formulation processes in many post-conflict and transitional countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq. He has provided advice on financial matters and contributed to financial management improvements at both the national and provincial level.
  
  Dean has Bachelor of Economics from the University of Adelaide (Australia) and is a Certified Practicing Accountant.

    

  
  
• John Mellors - Public Management and Finance Specialist
  John is a public sector management and finance specialist with a distinguished record of over 30 years professional experience. He has worked at centre of government level in Australia, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Europe with responsibility for organisation review and development, economic analysis and public expenditure management, governance arrangements for government business enterprises and statutory authorities, and commercialisation and contracting of government activities. He has extensive experience in the design and review of development projects in these areas.
  
  John has an honours degree in Economics and Accounting from the University of Bristol (UK) and is a member of the Economic Society of Australia. He has been awarded an Australian Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through public service leadership.

    

  
  
• William Harris - Civil Service Reform Specialist
  Bill is a public sector reform specialist with over 40 years experience in the Australian public service and in international assignments for the World Bank, AusAID and ADB, as well as governments in the Asia-Pacific region. Bill has worked as a leader or senior adviser on public sector reform projects in Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Mongolia. These assignments have involved the provision of high-level mentoring and advisory assistance on matters including machinery of government and civil and public administration reform strategy and priority actions, establishment structure and budget-driven public administration reforms.
  
  Bill’s pre-eminent career work in the Australian public service included 23 years at a senior policy level during a period of repeated public sector reform. Bill oversaw the Office Structures Review, a comprehensive reform of the Australian public service, before becoming chief executive responsible for implementing self-government in the Australian Capital Territory, involving the development and implementation of the first ACT budget. For seven years thereafter, he acted as the main change agent for the ACT administration, with overall responsibility for public administration, budget and personnel reforms. His skills as an employment policies specialist are exemplified in his oversight of service-wide reorganisation of the Australian public service and advice imparted on employment policy and recruitment processes and practices.
  
  Bill has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics/Government from the University of Sydney (Australia).