Principal Consultant | Project Advisory | Corporate Affairs | Strategic Communications | Stakeholder Engagement
Renewable Energy | Transport | Rail | Mining & Resources | Water | Government | Health | Social Infrastructure
Tarnia Riggs is a strategic consultant and the Founder and Principal Consultant of Myriad Ardor, specialising in project advisory, governance, corporate affairs, strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and organisational improvement.
With more than 20 years’ experience across Australia and the United Kingdom, she has helped organisations deliver complex infrastructure, renewable energy, transport, mining, water, health and government projects, working alongside executive leadership teams, government agencies, Tier 1 consultancies, multinational organisations and major contractors on high-profile and politically sensitive programs.
Her expertise spans project advisory, governance, project delivery, corporate affairs, organisational change, strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, social impact and business operations. Rather than specialising in a single discipline, Tarnia connects strategy with delivery, helping organisations navigate complexity, strengthen governance, manage risk and build trusted relationships with stakeholders and communities.
Recognised for translating complex technical, operational and policy challenges into practical, human-centred solutions, Tarnia is trusted to provide strategic advice, improve organisational capability and support successful project outcomes across the full project lifecycle—from planning and feasibility through to delivery, operations and project close-out.
Career Highlights
- 20+ years’ experience leading organisational improvement, strategic advisory, governance, stakeholder engagement and project delivery across banking, government, infrastructure, renewable energy, transport, mining, health and major capital projects.
- Experience spanning the full project lifecycle from planning and feasibility through delivery, operations and project close-out.
- Trusted to support executive leadership, Ministers, government agencies, delivery partners and multidisciplinary teams across complex, politically sensitive and high-profile programs.
- Delivered strategy, governance, stakeholder engagement, communications, organisational change and business improvement initiatives for government agencies, Tier 1 consultancies and multinational organisations.
- Published industry author, with articles featured in Utility magazine supporting stakeholder engagement and communications for the EnergyCo NSW Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) program.
- Received formal commendation from Hobsons Bay City Council and the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce for leading innovative and highly effective stakeholder and community engagement during Melbourne Water’s Williamstown Sewer Rehabilitation Project.
- Commercial and operational leadership foundation in banking, finance and business operations, leading organisational change, governance improvements and business process redesign across public and private sector organisations, including the London Borough of Camden, Fujifilm UK and Woods Bagot. Delivered new policies, procedures and credit application processes, trained national and international leaders and teams, transformed an underperforming national credit portfolio, and recovered more than $1.5 million in aged debt while strengthening governance, operational performance and client relationships.
Core Capability Areas
Strategy & Advisory
- Strategic advisory
- Governance
- Business improvement
- Executive support
- Organisational change
Project & Program Delivery
- Project coordination
- Project mobilisation & close-out
- PMO support
- Risk & issues management
- Cross-functional collaboration
Corporate Affairs & Engagement
- Corporate affairs
- Strategic communications
- Stakeholder & community engagement
- Government relations
- Media & reputation management
Research & Social Impact
- Social Impact Assessment
- Social planning
- Community research
- ESG
- Stakeholder insights
Leadership & Operations
- Team leadership
- Coaching & mentoring
- Process improvement
- Digital systems
- Business operations
Credentials
Education
- Graduate Certificate in Project Management (2022)
University of South Australia GPA 5.66 / 7 (80.85%) Distinction - Bachelor of Management (Marketing) (2016)
University of South Australia GPA 5.16 / 7 (73.71%) Top-performing marketing cohort Ehrenberg Bass Institute - Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship & New Business
- Certificate IV in Small Business Management
- Certificate IV in Management
- Certificate IV in Real Estate Sales & Marketing
- Certificate III in Travel (SIT30122) (In Progress)
Professional Development
- IAP2 Australasia – Engagement Academy
- IAP2 Australasia – Engagement Essentials
- IAP2 Australasia – Facing Conflict
- IAP2 Australasia – Facilitate Engagement (2025)
- Project Management MAP
- Conflict Resolution
- Presentation & Stakeholder Management (Master Builders)
Certifications & Clearances
- White Card – Work Safely in the Construction Industry (CPCCWHS1001)
- National Police Clearance (Current)
- NDIS Worker Clearance
Selected Awards & Recognition
- Integrated Marketing Award – Stock Price
- Integrated Marketing Award – Net Income
- Selected for the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute Marketing Project
- Commendation from Hobsons Bay City Council and the Williamstown Chamber of Commerce for delivery of the Williamstown Sewer Rehabilitation stakeholder engagement program.
Technical & Digital Capability
Project & Stakeholder Systems
- Darzin
- Simply Stakeholders
- Consultation Manager
- Aconex
- SharePoint
- Microsoft 365
- Qualtrics
- CRM platforms
Research & Analysis
- Qualitative & quantitative research
- Survey design & analytics
- Stakeholder insight & reporting
- Social Impact Assessment
- Community profiling
- Data interpretation
Creative & Digital
- WordPress
- Elementor
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Illustrator
- Canva
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Buffer
- Isentia
- HTML/CMS
Selected Major Project Experience
| Sector | Representative Projects |
|---|
| Energy | $45.7B BHP Olympic Dam Growth & BAU Program • $1.2B EnergyCo Renewable Energy Zones • SAPN Internal Communications |
| Education | $8.8B School Infrastructure NSW |
| Health | $7.2B COVID-19 Vaccination Program • $1.8B Royal Adelaide Hospital PPP |
| Transport | $30B Rail Projects Victoria • $15.4B North–South Corridor • $200M ARTC Inland Rail • $190M Princes Highway |
| Water | Melbourne Water – Williamstown, Maribyrnong, M41 & North Drop Structure |
| Government | Department for Infrastructure & Transport • UniSA International • South Road Superway |
Additional Perspective
I bring a globally minded, commercially aware and culturally informed perspective shaped by experience across Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and the Middle East.
Known for connecting strategy with delivery through authentic communication, practical leadership, and strong relationship management, I enjoy building capability, improving systems, and translating complexity into practical outcomes that create lasting value for organisations, projects, and communities.
Top Skills
Project Advisory • Project Delivery • Governance • Corporate Affairs • Strategic Communications • Stakeholder Engagement • Government Relations • Organisational Change • Social Impact • Executive Support • Business Improvement
