MEET THE TEAM

EXPERIENCED TEAM OF PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE INVESTIGATORS

Our expert team of licensed workplace investigators, accredited mediators and HR and IT professionals, has decades of combined experience across a wide range of government and private sector environments. Our team is drawn from a range of investigative backgrounds from policing to internal government investigations and not-for-profit care organisations. All have experience with a wide range of complex investigations in the workplace and are used to interacting with all parts of an organisation from factory floor to Board level.

Glen Thomasen

Founder

Glen looks after daily operations, developing and implementing growth strategy while ensuring the company conducts all of its business activities in compliance with legal, regulatory and company policy, controls and standards. Glen is also an experienced investigator with an extensive background in surveillance and factual investigation. Glen uses his experience to advise and assist our workplace investigators when required. Glen is committed to positioning Synergy as an industry leader in workplace investigations and mediation.

Conversation starters:  Why is climbing Mount Cook on your bucket list? Is owning a boat all it’s cracked up to be?

Natalie Thomasen

Founder | Director

Member Association of Workplace Investigators (Australia), Mental Health First Aid trainer

Natalie brings nearly 20 years of investigative and HR experience to the table every time she engages with a new client. Her role is not just about ensuring the smooth running of every investigation, assisting our investigators and upholding our rigorous standards, it’s about facilitating an environment of support for our clients, recognising that many have never conducted a workplace investigation before. Natalie genuinely cares about our clients and their people and her passion for creating harmonious workplaces comes through in everything she does.

Conversation starters: Is nature the great healer? Why is hiking Patagonia on your bucket list?

Michele Sternberg

Operations Manager

Michele’s primary role is to implement the correct processes and practices across the organisation. Her specific duties as Operations Manager include formulating strategy, improving performance, procuring material and resources and securing legal compliance. Michele has decades of experience working in multi-national media corporations and brings a high level of enthusiasm and professionalism to the company. With strong communication skills, natural leadership qualities, knowledge of organisational effectiveness and operations management as well as being very organisationed (she’s a super Virgo), Michele is an integral member of the Synergy team.

Conversation starter: What’s the view like from Mt Everest? Do kelpies only chase sheep?

Nicholas Moseley

HR Technology Consultant

Nick has been a member of the Synergy team since the beginning, assisting us to stay on the cutting edge of web and desktop technology and security. Nick is an expert in HR and payroll software, helping clients to integrate the latest systems for improving efficiency and compliance. Nick is available to advise on your HR technology processes and provide cost effective solutions.

Chris Phelps

Workplace Investigator | area of speciality, HR Consulting, Government Investigations

Chris has more than a decade of experience as a workplace investigator and senior leader across various government organisations. Chris held the role of Acting General Manager Workplace Relations, People and Performance for NSW Health. In his capacity with NSW Health, Chris managed complex clinical investigations within Southern NSW hospitals also representing NSW Health in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission. Chris’s role was also to provide leadership, training and development to the senior leadership team in the delivery of investigations and communications encompassing a range of complex standards, industrial instruments and Awards.

In his investigative work, Chris brings extensive knowledge around managing teams and providing strategic leadership and direction to Senior Executives and leaders across various regulatory environments in a range of workplace and employee relations functions such as workplace misconduct, managing underperformance, grievance handling, end to end recruitment, governance, compliance and risk management. 

With high level investigative, report writing and communication skills, Chris has a proven history of providing sound outcomes, liaising with, coaching and advising senior executives and leaders, as well as preparing high-level reports and briefings.

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John Delphin

Workplace Investigator | Area of specialty, Misconduct Investigations

A former NSW police detective, John is a highly skilled investigator with more than 30 years’ experience conducting and managing workplace investigations within the Health sector in Victoria as well as Legal, Corporate, Domestic, Workers Compensation, Common Law, Public Liability, Surveillance, Due Diligence and Witness Location matters. He has lectured on investigation and surveillance techniques at TAFE and is recognised by his peers and clients as a thorough, diligent and ethical investigator. John has handled difficult and sensitive matters such as workplace bullying, sexual harassment and serious sexual misconduct, workplace fatalities, client complaints, stress claims and fraud. John has worked with Synergy for 8 years covering the state of Victoria in a wide range of matters, most commonly, workplace misconduct.

Conversation Starters: Why do dogs and beaches go so well together? What have you been reading lately?

Chris Rice

Workplace Investigator | Area of Specialty, Not-for Profit Sector Investigations, Disability Support & Aged Care

Chris has over 25 years’ experience working in the community services, disability support, aged cared and Not for Profit sector in Australia, having worked in roles from direct care through to senior management and board positions with organisations that provide disability, allied health, mental health and aged care services. Chris’s work has also included working with government departments to roll out new legislative requirements for service providers.

Chris has extensive experience investigating workplace complaints in the health sector including customer complaints, service incident and injury cases, ministerial initiated complaints and carrying out surveillance. Most recently, Chris has commenced providing investigative services to correctional facilities for the Department of Justice and Attorney General as an Official Visitor.

Chris has been an investigator for Synergy for 6 years. In that time, he has conducted numerous investigations within healthcare organisations, independent schools and local governments all.

Convseration Starters: Why are Saturday morning surfs the best? What is the most important thing to take with you when moving to an island in the South Pacific?  

Dr Ellen Balke

Dispute Resolution & Coaching

Ellen has a PhD in Multi Stakeholder Decision Making and Negotiation from the London School of Economics, a Psychology Degree and Masters Degree in Social Psychology.

Ellen brings decades of knowledge and experience in conflict resolution and organisational psychology to assist Synergy clients by leading facilitated discussions and one to one coaching programs in situations where personalities are affecting work performance. Over the past 8 years with Synergy, Ellen has brought harmony to many workplaces that were previously in high conflict.

Courtney White

Workplace Investigator | area of speciality, HR Consulting, Government Investigations

Courtney is a lawyer and has more than 10 years’ experience conducting misconduct and corrupt conduct investigations across the public and private sectors.  Courtney has strong experience conducting child protection and child abuse investigations, as well as investigations of abuse against vulnerable persons.

In addition to law, Courtney has qualifications in criminology and behavioural science and has used this knowledge to provide expertise into behavioural relates complaints and has strong experience conducting investigations within teams that are in conflict.  Courtney also has strong experience in administrative reviews and has well-developed abilities to uncover systemic issues within investigations being conducted.

Conversation Starters: What’s so exciting about caravan holidays? What is so great about Hamilton?