Stepping Up with Purpose:
Ash Smith on Leading the Future of Consulting
After years of partnering with clients to transform culture, strengthen leadership, and unlock team potential, Ash Smith is stepping into a new chapter. As Head of Consulting at Human Synergistics Australia, Ash brings a future-focused mindset and a passion for meaningful impact. We sat down with him to talk about his vision for the consulting division, how he plans to stay close to the work, and what’s next for the team.
What will success look like for you in this new role?
For me, success is about laying the groundwork for the next 25 years of Human Synergistics Australia’s Consulting arm. I want us to be recognised as Australia’s go-to partner for specialist Culture, Team and Leadership Development services.
That means evolving our offering to meet emerging client needs, supporting our people to do their best work, and building on the strong foundations already in place.
How do you plan to balance leading the consulting team with staying connected to clients?
Our team is already highly experienced and collaborative – they don’t need close day-to-day management. My role will be more about aligning our efforts around a clear, shared strategy that supports our long-term goals.
That structure allows me to stay hands-on with client work, particularly projects that showcase what we do best. Staying connected keeps our strategy grounded in real insights and helps me support the team more meaningfully.
What aspects of the current consulting approach do you hope to evolve or strengthen?
There’s still a perception that Human Synergistics is primarily a diagnostics business, but the reality is, we’re a deeply experienced consulting organisation that drives real change.
I want us to tell that story more clearly, highlighting the depth of our consulting capability, the outcomes we’ve achieved, and the value we bring to culture, team and leadership development. We have an incredible offering, and we should be proud to share it.
How do you want your team to experience your leadership?
I want my leadership to feel authentic and respectful.
For me, that means creating a culture where people are real with each other, hold themselves to high standards, and support one another. We should be practicing the behaviours we help our clients build – living the work, not just delivering it.
Who will you need to collaborate with most to be effective in this role?
A key focus will be working closely with our internal marketing team and our broader network of consultants.
To grow the consulting side of the business, we need to consistently share stories that demonstrate our impact. That’s how we build awareness of the value we bring, not just for our team, but for the whole network.
I’ll focus on those relationships through shared goals, open communication and a strong commitment to collaboration.
Which of our diagnostics or solutions do you think are under-utilised?
Leadership/Impact and Management/Impact.
They’re incredibly powerful systems for leadership development – and I believe they have the potential to become the go-to programs for organisations that want to shape Culture through Leadership.
We already do great work in this space, but there’s still so much untapped potential.
How do you see our Signature Solutions evolving to meet market needs?
We have some of the most well-researched tools in the market. Now it’s about making them even more accessible and intuitive for clients, so they’re easier to engage with and apply in practice.
That means refining the experience from start to finish – how clients access, interpret and act on insights. When the delivery is as strong as the content, we amplify our impact.
Where do you see the greatest potential to integrate our diagnostics into broader change programs?
The real power of our diagnostics comes when they’re used as part of a broader, integrated system.
Culture, Leadership and Teams shouldn’t be tackled in isolation. Sustainable change happens when these elements are aligned and developed together.
Our job is to guide clients through that full journey, showing how each part of the system builds on the other to drive lasting results.
What innovations or enhancements would you be most excited to lead?
I’m most excited about helping clients take meaningful action on the insights we uncover.
We already provide powerful data – now it’s about making that data even more practical, user-friendly and actionable. I want us to support clients not just in understanding their results, but in confidently applying them.
That’s the kind of innovation that turns insight into transformation – and that’s the future I want us to lead.
Want to learn more about how Ash and the team are shaping the future of culture, leadership, and performance?
Explore our Solutions or get in touch to start the conversation.