Antony Jeffrey AM

Consulting Services

Antony Jeffrey's 30 year career in the arts has been divided more or less evenly between senior management and consulting. Much of his consulting work has been in fundraising development, sponsorship and marketing. In recent years, the necessity for better business planning has been promoted strongly by the Australia Council and state arts agencies, and since 1990, he has been a leader in strategic planning for arts companies. During the last five years, he has recorded many interviews with leading artists and arts managers, giving him privileged insights into the lives of many highly talented individuals.He plans to devote more time to this work in the future.

Executive Search

Antony Jeffrey spent several years as a human resource specialist with Price Waterhouse from 1989 to 1993 conducting executive search for many CEO roles. In more recent years he has conducted successful searches for senior and CEO positions for many arts companies.

He is a strong believer in the search process for senior arts positions, as many of the best people are committed to their jobs and rarely see, let alone seek out advertised positions.

Mentoring

In over 30 years as an arts manager, Antony Jeffrey has worked with very many artists and arts workers, and has coached and mentored individuals both on an informal collegiate basis and in more formal professional relationships.

Contemporary artists and arts managers must be highly qualified. Yet most have little practical experience and are expected to be highly productive almost from day one. Mentorships for young managers are now common, and have proved to be very effective in transforming both performance and morale. Artists are usually self-employed and frequently untrained in running a small business or even their own affairs.

Antony Jeffrey can arrange mentoring programs for staff or artists of arts companies, either through undertaking the mentorships himself or identifying and engaging suitable mentors with the specialist experience required. He also undertakes mentoring directly with individuals.

Oral History

Antony Jeffrey has conducted and recorded over 70 interviews with artists and arts managers over the last five years, mostly for archival purposes. He believes Australians are inclined to forget the achievements of our artists (as well as high achievers in all sorts of walks of life). Perhaps it is part of our hedonist culture to be absorbed in only what might happen tomorrow!

He offers to interview and record the life experiences and achievements of any person involved in the arts. While such interviews are totally confidential and the property of the interviewee, he prefers to deposit a copy with the National Library for archival purposes.

Policy Development

An extensive background in arts policy development though countless consulting assignments, especially with government agencies, research companies and tertiary institutions equips Antony Jeffrey to undertake complex policy analysis, often in association with other expert professionals and organisations.

Short Term Management

In certain circumstances and for short periods Antony Jeffrey is available to take on a short term senior management assignments, particularly during a period of recruitment or in the case of unexpected absence of a CEO through illness.

Strategic Planning

Proper business planning is just as crucial for arts organisations as it is for any other enterprise in translating its ideas into successful action. Funding agencies insist upon well executed planning process these days, and have copious evidence of its success.

Antony Jeffrey has facilitated strategic plan development and completed detailed plans at many companies in the last 20 years, including Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Film Festival, Stalker Theatre Company, Screen Producers Association and the Song Company. The phenomenal financial turnaround of the ACO in recent years following a period near catastrophe is directly related to improved planning processes.