ELLA HELENE
Senior Consultant
Ella is a Senior Consultant and Project Manager with more than two decade's experience leading and delivering complex projects across venues, sport, real estate, construction and major events. She has specialist expertise in design project management, guiding projects from concept through schematic and detailed design, coordinating multidisciplinary consultant teams and ensuring alignment between client objectives, technical requirements and operational outcomes.
Most recently, Ella led a comprehensive review and audit of all sport venues and facilities in the State of Qatar. This project required detailed analysis of facility design, compliance, accessibility and operational functionality, along with extensive stakeholder engagement and coordination. Her work provided an evidence-based framework for investment and future planning associated with their Olympic bid.
Ella was seconded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Deputy Venue & Event General Manager for the Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Games at Eiffel Champ de Mars, overseeing two high-profile venues and six sports. Her responsibilities extended to venue design readiness, overlay planning and operational integration, ensuring that concept and schematic designs translated into venues capable of meeting Games-time specifications and delivering an exceptional athlete and spectator experience.
Prior to joining MI, Ella was the Senior Event Manager at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for 14 years working for the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), where she oversaw and managed international sporting and music events from AFL Grand Finals, international & domestic cricket to large scale international music & sporting events. She then moved into a Project Manager role, working on numerous special projects including the redevelopment of the Stadium Management Centre.
Ella has also previously run her own consulting business – specialising in identifying, analysing, implementing and reviewing strategies to ensure business growth. Delivering services such as streamlining operations, reviewing systems, process & procedures along with executing business plans and goals for her clients, she also outsourced project management, including event management and HR.
She was the General Manager of Ray White Woollahra & Paddington, one of Sydney’s most successful real estate agencies. In her first year, she spearheaded the transformation of the business from a deficit to a $1 million surplus. During her tenure, the company doubled in number of employees and expanded their offices whilst Ella managed the purchase and implementation of a rent roll which quadrupled the company’s portfolio and their Property Management team.
Additionally, she has also held management roles in high profile international sporting events including the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the Rugby World Cup 2003.
Outside of work, weekends are spent outdoors with her two girls and their dog, Buddy. Having always loved sport she trained for the Sydney 2000 Olympics in Springboard Diving however nowadays prefers other water based activities and every now and then you’ll find her showing off a few diving tricks at her parents farm in the NSW Southern Highlands.