“Strategy without delivery is aspiration. Delivery without strategy is noise. I work in the space between - independently, right beside you and always focused on outcomes.”
- Daniel McInerney
About Lead Forward
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Who I am
My name is Daniel McInerney. I am the founder of Lead Forward, and an independent advisor to organisations, senior executives and teams navigating complexity, reform, and high-stakes delivery.
What I offer is direct: you work with me, and I bring three decades of experience across government, consulting, digital reform, and large-scale transformation to stay focused on the outcomes that matter.
I have a deep passion for local, state and federal government, not-for-profit and corporations who specialise in health and hospitals, aged care, community services, human services sectors. This extends to:
Digital health
Healthcare technology, AI and data
Digital service transformation
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Why I Created Lead Forward
After three decades working at the intersection of strategy, implementation, operations and leadership, I reached a point where independence was the only way to do the work properly — where genuine accountability, and a single focus on outcomes could not be compromised.
So, I created Lead Forward to work differently — with the independence to give frank and fearless advice, the seniority to add real value, and the commitment to get in the trenches with you and see it through.
That belief is grounded in something more personal too — a commitment to health, family, and purpose that shapes how I work and why the quality of every engagement matters to me.
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What Lead Forward Stands For
Lead Forward is built on one principle — you work directly with me, and I help build the capability of your teams. This is our corporate social responsibility commitment.
Independent Advisory is the core of what I do — working alongside boards, executives, and delivery teams to close the gap between strategy and execution, strengthen governance, and ensure outcomes are not left to chance. Alongside this, I offer Leadership Counsel for senior executives and leaders navigating the professional weight of complex leadership, and those building their leadership capability and market confidence.
My Story
My career has been built at the intersection of policy, strategy, digital transformation, and reform — working on some of the most consequential programs in health, human services, aged care and government services.
I began in the Queensland public service, working directly in frontline health and community services. It was here I developed a deep respect for what delivery actually means — not as an abstract concept, but as something felt by real people in real communities.
From there I moved into the Federal public service, leading national health programs at a pivotal moment in Australia's digital health transformation. Managing teams, navigating complex stakeholder environments, and driving outcomes at scale gave me the foundation I draw on today.
Consultingcame next — working alongside leaders on nation-shaping programs impacting millions of Australians. It sharpened my instincts for what separates programs that land from those that don't, and deepened my commitment to advice that is direct, grounded, and accountable.
Beyond client work, I have consistently invested in the broader leadership community — serving on advisory committees, as past immediate Deputy Chair of a local ACT digital health chapter, and as Chair of a Catholic school board, working to strengthen partnerships and improve outcomes for students, families, and the wider community.
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My Qualifications
Foundations of Corporate Directorship, AICD
Government Gateway Review, Team Leader and Review Team Member, BTLi
Graduate Certificate - Program and Project Management, University of SA
Bachelor of Business - Health Service Management, QUT
Masters - Practitioner of Coaching, International Coaching Institute
Fellow, Australasian Institute of Digital Health (FAIDH)
CHIA, Australasian Institute of Digital Health
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My Memberships
MAICD
Australasian Institute of Digital Health
Australian Institute of Health Executives
HL7 Australia
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Services
Independent Advisory
At Lead Forward, I work directly with organisations, senior executives and teams at the moments that matter most — navigating complexity, managing risk, and ensuring strategy translates into real outcomes.
With nearly three decades of experience across public service and consulting, I bring independent rigour and hands-on discipline to the full arc from strategy to decision to delivery — cutting through noise, strengthening governance, and keeping focus on what cannot be left to chance.
Independent Advisory
I help organisations, senior executives and teams turn complex strategy into accountable, outcomes-focused delivery.
I operate at the level where it matters: understanding the situation, challenging assumptions and getting hands-on where delivery demands it. Clients engage me when the stakes are high, the environment is complex, and outcomes cannot be left to chance.
I work directly with you, and your teams with a strong focus on internal capability development of your people.
Click here to learn more about Independent Advisory services or hear from my past clients in Testimonials.
Leadership Counsel
The leaders I work with in advisory engagements often face something beyond the program itself — delivering in through uncertainty and the need to perform with adaptability when the environment is uncertain.
I offer a confidential, one-on-one space for leaders to step back, think rigorously, and lead with greater confidence and intention. It is practical, outcomes-focused, and grounded in the same discipline I bring to complex delivery — drawing on three decades across government, consulting, digital reform, and large-scale transformation to provide grounded, honest guidance
Hear from my past clients in Testimonials.
Values & Standards
Courage | Authenticity | Resilience | Integrity | Purpose
These values and standards define how I engage, what I say, and where I stand when the environment gets difficult.
I bring discipline and rigour to ensure structured thinking, delivery focus, and clear accountability.
I offer clarity and honesty — frank advice grounded in experience, not validation.
I invest in relationships before process, because trust consistently drives better outcomes than governance alone. And I measure success by impact, not activity — focused on what actually moves the dial.
My purpose is straightforward: to help organisations, senior leaders and teams deliver with confidence, grow through complexity, and leave something that lasts.
Contact Me
Interested in working together? Fill out the short form and I will be in touch shortly. I can’t wait to hear from you!