Vanesa Nievas

Vanesa recently joined Risk-e Business as a Senior Consultant - Planning, Capability and Governance. Vanesa has a distinguished career across a broad range of businesses and agencies, and she brings with her ‘lived practical experience’. Her academic qualifications are unrivalled, and she is currently completing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Organisational Resilience. 

Vanesa commenced her career working for the Attorney General’s Department (2008 - 2013) where she worked in a highly complex, federal law enforcement context where she liaised with internal and external stakeholders to provide time critical sensitive report & information on counterterrorism impacting national security.

In 2013, Vanesa had a change of direction and commenced lecturing for Charles Sturt University and Western Sydney University on their Bachelor of Policing programs. Vanesa was responsible for the delivery of high-quality lecturers and workshops to facilitate educational outcomes for the Associate Degree in Policing Practice. This was delivered on behalf of the NSW Police Force. Vanesa was also responsible for the management of professional staff and contractors in course coordination that included examinations and student communication.

Vanesa moved in 2018 to take up the challenge of being the Supervisor, Learning and Development at the NSW Rural Fire Service where she took on a leading role in preparing the NSW RFS for a crisis, along with planning business resilience. This included task allocations, capability developments and performance management to deliver strategic training priorities.

Vanesa then gained experience with the NSW State Emergency Service as a Zone Training Advisor where she was the lead on implementing complex resilience programs that bolstered operational capabilities.

To diversify and enhance her professional skills, Vanesa moved to become a Regional Emergency Management Officer between 2019 – 2021. This position involved coordinating the development and implementation of holistic training, exercises, plans, frameworks and policies. Vanesa was responsible for leadership of the NSWPF Emergency Management Strategic Direction, writing the multiagency public housing COVID-19 lockdown guidelines and responsibility for supporting Emergency Operations Centres during the 2019/20 bushfires.

Vanesa’s skills were recognised in 2021 when she successfully moved to the position of Senior Business Consultant with the NSWPF. Vanesa was responsible for the provision of coaching on frameworks, tools, templates and methodologies to both empower NSWPF senior leadership and their teams to enhance operational outcomes within the Communications Command.

November 2022, Vanesa commenced in the position of Director, Emergency Management EM Planning, Capability and Governance, Transport for NSW where she is responsible for the development of strategic governance frameworks and methodologies to enhance operational Emergency Management capabilities.  

QUALIFICATIONS:

Vanesa is currently completing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Organisational resilience and inherit drive to achieve positive outcomes. She also holds a Master of Teaching (Secondary) (2012); Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) (2013); Bachelor of Policing (Distinction) (2007).

AWARDS:

Vanesa has received the Western Sydney University Academic Excellence Scholarship (2004-2007); WSU Honours Scholarship (2012); WSU Sydney Honours First Class Medal (2014); WSU Dean’s Merit List (2014, 2012, 2007, 2006, 2005); Australian Postgraduate Award (APA)(2014-2017); NSW SES Commissioner’s Certificate of Appreciation 2019.