Our People

Colin Balfour

Colin offers our clients:

• Over 25 years senior management and consulting experience in the public and private sectors.
• Particular skills and experience in strategic planning, business planning and marketing planning.
• Extensive experience in the design and development of research projects.
• Extensive experience in project development and managing change.
• Eight years consulting experience in North Queensland over a broad range of businesses, plus State and local government.

Colin is experienced in planning roles in the national and international arenas, bringing to Balfour Consulting extensive expertise, particularly in the fields of tourism, retail and services marketing.

As Director of Marketing at Sheraton Townsville Hotel & Casino and at Wrest Point Hotel & Casino, Colin oversaw a restructuring of marketing operations and directions. This included working closely with external stakeholders and key partner organisations to gain the support and quality services needed to ensure successful outcomes were achieved. During Colin's time at Wrest Point, the property won the National Tourism Award - Marketing.

Colin's career has involved business development and the development and implementation of marketing campaigns in Europe, SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He was Corporate Planner & Manager Planning for the WA Tourism Commission and facilitated the introduction of the WA Government's corporate planning requirements to that organisation. He has worked in partnership with, or consulted to, a wide range of organisations from major national and multinational corporations through to government bodies and small business operators.

His recent consulting experience includes strategic and business planning, marketing planning and market and social research. Clients for these services have included Honeycombes Property Group, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Hillross, Queensland Rail, Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM, Department of Main Roads, The Great Tropical Drive, Australian Technical College NQ, Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Department of Emergency Services, Townsville Enterprise Ltd, Townsville Chamber of Commerce, Accom Whitsunday, Townsville City Council, Esk Shire Council, Hinchinbrook Shire Council and Thuringowa City Council.

Colin undertook a BA at Canterbury University, NZ, with additional studies in Communications at Murdoch University, WA. He is an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute for Travel and Tourism, Associate of the Australian Marketing Institute and Member of the Market & Social Research Society of Australia. Colin has also undertaken tutoring at the James Cook University's School of Business.

Mary Balfour

Mary offers our clients:

• 30 years experience in business communications.
• 15 years experience in business development and strategic planning.
• Facilitator, researcher, writer, planner - with an arts and science background.
• Specialist in consultation and research for the development and implementation of cooperative programs across disparate groups.

Mary has management and corporate experience, as well as acknowledged expertise in strategic communications. She was Managing Director of a national public relations consultancy and managed her own strategic communications consultancy in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mary has worked particularly with government, unions and business in the development and implementation of cooperative marketing, branding and issues management programs. She has consulted on projects from Cairns to Perth for a diverse range of private and public sector clients.

Mary has developed and implemented strategic communication programs for a wide range of organisations, from BHP Steel and Telstra through to specialist companies such as Moldflow, a Victorian software company. On an international basis, she worked on major projects such as developing corporate marketing strategies for Fuji Xerox in relation to the company's sponsorship of the 2000 Olympic Games.

In North Queensland, Mary has undertaken a range of projects with the Department of Main Roads, Queensland Transport, Queensland Rail, Townsville City Council, Thuringowa City Council, Hinchinbrook Shire Council, Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Citiwater, The Great Tropical Drive, Murdering Point Winery and other clients.

Mary has achieved recognition through 11 State and national awards and her election as the first female President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (Vic). She holds a BSc (Hons) and Diploma of Journalism and has served as Chair of Deakin University Course Advisory Committee for the Bachelor of Business Communications degree.

Mary has served as a member of Boards and/or Committees for the Richmond Youth Centre, Victorian Arts Centre Trust, Young Achievers Australia, the New Zealand International Year of the Child, Spastic Welfare Association of Western Australia and the Arthritis Foundation of Victoria.