Mitchell Stalker - Director

Written By Bella McIntyre

About

Mitchell, Director of Beacon Strategies, is a health and social services consultant specialising in working with PHNs, government agencies, and not-for-profit organisations. He delivers impactful work that ultimately benefits community members.

Mitchell brings over 15 years of experience to support Beacon Strategies' client partners to improve how health and social services are planned, designed and delivered. He is a subject matter agnostic, with experience across mental health, suicide prevention, alcohol and other drugs, primary care and workforce (amongst others). His work spans a range of disciplines including health planning, organisational strategy, service design, and strategic reviews. Mitchell is known for making complexity manageable and helping client partners forge solutions that are grounded in real-world contexts and designed for implementation.

Capabilities

Mitchell approaches all projects with an agile mindset and a strong consulting mindset, with a focus on delivering high-quality, timely work that is collaborative, insightful, and tailored to our client’s needs.

He works across four core areas:

  • health planning (helping organisations understand needs and shape responses)

  • service design (supporting the creation of programs and models that work for communities)

  • organisational strategy (supporting direction-setting and execution) and

  • strategic reviews (helping assess program performance and fit and inform change)

Mitchell leads both people and projects in a way that brings out the best in his team and partners. He creates a positive working environment, maintains project momentum and ensures the client experience is well-managed from start to finish.

Approach to work

Mitchell’s approach to consulting is practical, collaborative, and outcomes-focused. He works closely with his clients to shape realistic strategies and service models that reflect community needs and can be implemented with confidence. Mitchell brings a steady, respectful style to projects, with a focus on early communication, clear roles, and shared problem solving. His goal is to help organisations get unstuck and move forward with clarity and purpose.

Achievements at Beacon Strategies

Mitchell has successfully led the development and delivery of the following projects:

  • Primary Healthcare Workforce Framework (Hunter New England Central Coast PHN)

  • Allied Health and Primary Care Nursing Workforce Framework (Hunter New England Central Coast PHN)

  • Cairns and Hinterland Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan (Northern Queensland PHN)

  • Torres and Cape Suicide Prevention Community Action Plan (Northern Queensland PHN)

  • Evaluation of Funded Psychological Therapies (Brisbane North PHN)

  • Redesign of Access to Allied Psychological Services (Brisbane South PHN)

  • Establishment of a Psychological Therapies Program (Brisbane South PHN)

  • National consumer journey mapping project for people with Epilepsy

  • Strategic plan development for not-for-profit organisations (including StandBy Support After Suicide, Footprints Community, Brook Red and more).

Professional experience

Before co-founding Beacon Strategies, Mitchell held a range of roles in government, NGOs and the international sector:

  • Director, Beacon Strategies (2015 – present)

  • Statewide Data Coordinator, QCOSS (2014 – 2015)

  • Planning Manager, Brisbane South PHN (2013 – 2014)

  • Program and Policy Coordinator, CNCF Mongolia (2012 – 2013)

  • Health Promotion Officer, Queensland Health (2011 – 2012)

  • Healthy Lifestyle Officer, Ipswich City Council (2008 – 2011)

Academic qualifications

  • Master of Public Health, University of Queensland, 2013

  • Bachelor of Health Sciences (Population Health and Health Promotion), University of Queensland, 2008

Career highlights

Throughout his career, and prior to co-founding Beacon Strategies, Mitchell has led or contributed to a number of impactful projects:

  • Led statewide data collection and analysis for Queensland’s homelessness initiative, engaging over 3,500 people

  • Authored the regional mental health reform roadmap for Brisbane South

  • Developed a collaborative palliative care strategy for the Brisbane South region

  • Delivered school-based healthy lifestyle programs across 10 Ipswich schools

Personal interests

Life right now is full to the brim with family, parenting two (fantastic and funny) kids, friends and work. Before kids, I was a big fan of travel — get me to a big city with time to explore, and I was in heaven. I’m always on the lookout for new plant-based food options, with a particular soft spot for Asian cuisine. At home, you’ll usually find me binge-watching Grand Designs (especially the New Zealand series).

Bella McIntyre
Previous

Gill Townsend - Manager (Suicide Prevention)
Next

Elliot Parkinson - Director