Major programs generate complexity that exceeds what a Program Manager can carry alone. I embed directly into your program as the governance, reporting, and stakeholder management specialist — so your PM can lead.
I'm Anthony Thompson. I've spent more than two decades working inside major transformation programs — not as the Program Manager, but as the person who carries the load that makes the PM's job viable. Governance design, reporting architecture, stakeholder cadence, risk escalation, workstream coordination, OCM support — the infrastructure of program delivery.
The programs I work in are complex: SAP implementations, global shared services centralisation, procurement transformation, capital portfolio management. They span multiple geographies, involve competing stakeholder priorities, and operate under real budget and timeline pressure. That's exactly the environment where embedded program support earns its value.
I don't impose frameworks. I work within the systems and structures your program already has, identify what's missing or failing, and build what's needed. The result is better signal from your reporting, cleaner governance, and a Program Manager who can actually lead rather than coordinate.
Sunshine Coast-based. Remote delivery across Australia and internationally. Available for engagements through Transforming Performance or Expert360.
Four engagements selected for their complexity and the specificity of the embedded support role. Each one a different program type — common thread is the same: structured governance, clear reporting, and disciplined execution against a real delivery timeline.
Greenfield SAP implementation across four value chain workstreams (P2P, O2C, R2A, H2R) with teams across Australia and India. Program required structured PMO infrastructure from scratch: governance cadence, cutover planning, UAT governance, risk escalation, OCM support, and BCP scenario development — sustained through go-live.
First-wave lift-and-shift to Kuala Lumpur and Manila. PMO built from zero: governance structure, reporting architecture, workstream tracking, risk management, and stakeholder communication frameworks — all established in parallel with the program itself. No existing infrastructure to build on.
Independent diagnostic review of procurement and supply chain operations across a national hospital network. Assessed process maturity, system capability, and organisational structure. Required credible executive engagement across a complex, multi-site organisation with competing priorities and limited existing governance.
Subcontracted to a Tier 1 global consultancy to lead procurement coaching and capability development across a global manufacturing business. Client-led delivery model: coaching category teams to develop and execute their own strategies rather than delivering consultant-led recommendations. Wave 1 operated under a savings target with real accountability.
Governance frameworks, reporting architecture, status pack design, risk and issue registers, RAID management, and the cadence structures that keep leadership informed without manufacturing false confidence.
Structured stakeholder engagement, workstream accountability tracking, escalation management, and the communication infrastructure that surfaces real issues rather than green-washing program health.
Cutover planning, checkpoint tracking, BCP scenario development, hypercare governance, and the structured coordination that stops go-live from becoming a crisis management exercise.
UAT entry and exit criteria, defect tracking and SLA management, test cycle governance, and layered audit processes that ensure sign-off decisions are based on real readiness — not deadline pressure.
Change impact assessments, stakeholder engagement strategies, communication planning and execution, and training coordination — particularly where OCM accountability has drifted or is being inadequately resourced.
Independent assessment of programs showing symptoms of governance failure, reporting drift, or stakeholder misalignment. Root-cause identification and structured recovery planning, without the politics of internal diagnosis.
If you're running a major program and the Program Manager is stretched across governance, reporting, and execution simultaneously — that's the conversation. A 30-minute call will tell us whether embedded support makes sense for your situation.