Damien Brown

Executive Consultant | Governance, Sustainability and Operational Transformation | Energy and Resources

Greater Brisbane Area

About

Most advisory firms in energy, resources, and infrastructure are either strategic (and disconnected from how things actually get approved and built) or technical (and can't hold a conversation at board level). I work in the gap between the two. As Director of Thrive Consulting Partners, I advise boards, executives, and government leaders on the work that sits between the project team and the regulator — environmental approvals strategy, enterprise risk and governance, sustainability frameworks, and the operating model changes that make those things stick. My clients include major energy and gas providers, renewable energy developers, tier-one mining organisations, and Queensland Government entities. I work at the strategic layer, but everything I deliver is grounded in actually having done the work — as a CEO who led a consulting firm through acquisition, as Head of HSE at BHP Coal, and in senior statutory roles inside the Queensland regulator. Qualifications: MBA (QUT), Business Sustainability Management (Cambridge CISL), M. Environmental Engineering Science (UNSW), GAICD. Happy to connect with leaders navigating approvals, governance, sustainability, or risk challenges across energy, resources, and infrastructure.

Experience

  • Executive Consultant at Thrive Consulting Partners
    Dec 2022 - Present · 3 yrs 8 mos

    I founded Thrive Consulting Partners to provide senior advisory to organisations navigating complex governance, risk, sustainability, and environmental challenges — particularly across mining, energy, infrastructure, and government. Clients engage me when they need experienced, operationally grounded support: clear analysis, strategic direction, and solutions that are implementable — not theoretical. Selected engagements: - Developed and implemented an integrated sustainability framework for a major renewable energy project entity — including environmental, cultural heritage and social impact components of business cases and strategic approvals direction to the executive and Board - Designed and deployed an enterprise-wide risk, compliance and assurance program for a major gas and energy provider - Appointed to recover an underperforming critical program by overseeing a Big Four consulting team — restoring quality, alignment and timely delivery -Delivered organisation-wide operating model and corporate framework alignment through executive engagement, structured workshops and targeted documentation Expertise: environmental approvals strategy · enterprise risk and compliance · corporate governance · sustainability and ESG · due diligence · business transformation

  • Founding Member at Nexus Advisory Alliance
    Mar 2026 - Present · 5 mos

    Nexus Advisory Alliance is a collaboration of independent consulting firms with deep expertise across governance, risk, operations and delivery, sustainability, technology, asset management, systems and processes, and people. We bring senior-led, integrated advisory to clients in energy, resources, infrastructure and government — without the overhead or rigidity of the large firms. Our clients face challenges that don’t sit neatly in one discipline. A major project approval touches risk, sustainability, governance and stakeholder engagement simultaneously. A transformation program spans technology, people, processes and asset strategy. Nexus brings together proven independent specialists so you get the breadth of a large firm with the senior attention, agility and value of a boutique consultancy.

  • Queensland Hydro (Part-time · 2 yrs)
    • Head of Sustainability and Strategic Relations
      Jan 2025 - Dec 2025 · 1 yr

    • Head of Sustainability
      Jan 2024 - Jan 2025 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Providing strategic leadership across Queensland Hydro on the development and implementation of world leading sustainability strategies and plans. Queensland Hydro is a publicly owned entity established by the Queensland Government to design, deliver, operate and maintain long duration pumped hydro energy storage assets that will be the cornerstone for the transformation of the state’s energy system.

  • Cyient Consulting (Full-time · 2 yrs 4 mos)
    • Global Head of Consulting
      Jan 2022 - Jan 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo

    • Managing Partner | Head of Consulting
      Oct 2020 - Jan 2022 · 1 yr 4 mos

  • Integrated Global Partners (Greater Brisbane Area)
    • Chief Executive Officer
      Jul 2019 - Oct 2020 · 1 yr 4 mos

    • Chief Operating Officer
      Apr 2018 - Jun 2019 · 1 yr 3 mos

    • Partner
      Jul 2017 - Apr 2018 · 10 mos