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Ashna Rai

Communications Consultant · Melbourne

Clear strategy.
Compelling stories.

I help organisations navigate change, engage their people and strengthen their reputation. From shaping the strategy to writing the words, I bring clarity to the work that matters.

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Melbourne-based · Available for projects, retainers and fractional support

Ashna Rai, communications consultant, smiling in a neutral shirt in a bright, modern workplace

Ashna Rai

Communications Consultant

Experience
Nine years across corporate, internal and executive communications
Settings
Global business, government, consulting and agency
Approach
Strategic advice and hands-on delivery, from one person

Sometimes you don't need another agency.
You need someone experienced who can step in and get the work done.

  1. 01You're navigating organisational change.
  2. 02An important announcement is approaching.
  3. 03Your executive team needs clearer messaging.
  4. 04Your communications team is at capacity.
  5. 05A communications leader is temporarily unavailable.
  6. 06A launch needs coordinated internal and external communications.
  7. 07The business is growing faster than its communications capability.

If any of these sound familiar, let's talk.

Strategy and delivery

I can advise, and I can do the work.

Strategy

  • Communications strategy
  • Narrative development
  • Organisational messaging
  • Stakeholder strategy
  • Channel planning
  • Change communications planning
  • Reputation strategy
  • Executive counsel
  • Communications governance

Delivery

  • Writing and editing
  • Communications plans
  • Employee communications
  • Leadership updates and CEO communications
  • Speeches and presentations
  • Media releases and talking points
  • FAQs and stakeholder messaging
  • Digital content
  • Communications calendars

Services

How I can help.

Four areas of work, each available as a defined project or as ongoing support.

01

Corporate & Executive Communications

The situation

Business priorities aren't always being communicated clearly or consistently. Leaders know what needs to happen, but not always how to explain it, structure it, or what each audience needs to hear.

How I help

I build the narrative and deliver the communications: from the message framework through to the speech, the update and the announcement.

Selected deliverables
  • Corporate messaging
  • CEO communications
  • Leadership updates
  • Executive speeches
  • Presentations
  • Talking points
  • Articles and thought leadership
  • Internal and external announcements
  • Stakeholder messaging
  • Message frameworks
  • Leadership briefings
  • Executive communication calendars
Discuss your project

02

Internal & Change Communications

The situation

Change creates uncertainty. When it's communicated poorly, the result is confusion, distrust, resistance and disengagement, and rumours fill the gaps.

How I help

I help organisations communicate change clearly and practically, so people know what is happening, why, and what it means for them.

Selected deliverables
  • Change communications strategies
  • Communications plans
  • Transformation and restructure communications
  • Employee announcements
  • Manager toolkits
  • FAQs
  • Stakeholder maps
  • Communications calendars
  • Engagement plans
  • Leadership messages
  • Employee campaigns
  • Channel strategies
Discuss your project

03

PR, Issues & Reputation

The situation

External communications can create reputational exposure when messaging is unclear, inconsistent or poorly coordinated, particularly when timing is tight.

How I help

I bring experience from in-house teams, PR agencies, government and high-profile media environments to help you prepare, coordinate and communicate with confidence.

Selected deliverables
  • Media releases
  • Messaging frameworks
  • Launch communications
  • External announcements
  • Reactive statements
  • Media Q&As
  • Issues preparation
  • Spokesperson briefing
  • Media strategy
  • Reputation communications
  • Stakeholder communications
Discuss your project

04

Fractional Communications Support

Fractional · Ongoing

The situation

Sometimes you need experienced communications support, but not another permanent hire. A leader may be on leave, a programme may be under way, or the team may be stretched.

How I help

I embed into your organisation for a month, a quarter or a project, taking ownership of communications planning, leadership support and delivery.

Selected deliverables
  • Monthly communications support
  • Defined retainers
  • Short-term projects
  • Leave cover
  • Leadership support
  • Campaign delivery
  • Change programmes
  • Communications planning
  • Delivery capacity
Discuss fractional support

Not sure which fits? Email Ashna and describe what's going on.

Experience

Experience behind the work

My experience spans consulting, agency, government and in-house communications, bringing different perspectives to the challenges your organisation faces.

01

Guiding organisations through change

Drawing on experience at Deloitte, OET and the Victorian Department of Education, I translate complex change into clear communications that help people understand what's happening, why it matters and what comes next.

Examples of work

Change communications plans, employee updates, leadership talking points and FAQs.

02

Giving leaders a clear voice

Through executive and parliamentary communications roles, I've helped leaders shape messages for different audiences and communicate with clarity and confidence.

Examples of work

Speeches, executive messaging, leadership updates and presentations.

03

Building and protecting reputation

My experience at Dentsu and OET brings together public relations, launch communications, media relations and reputation management.

Examples of work

Media releases, launch messaging, media talking points and issues communications.

Career experience across OET, Deloitte, Dentsu, the Victorian Department of Education and New Zealand Parliament. These are organisations where I gained experience, not clients of my consultancy.

About

Communications should make things clearer.

I've spent my career working in environments where communications needs to do more than sound good. It needs to help people understand a decision, navigate change and know what happens next.

That work has taken me through global business, government, consulting and agency environments. I'm comfortable at both ends of the job: advising a CEO on what to say and how to say it, then writing the message, planning the channels and getting it out the door.

I enjoy taking complicated information and making it understandable for the people who need it, and I work best alongside leaders and teams who want a straight answer and a practical plan.

I'm based in Melbourne. If you're weighing up whether you need me, a short conversation will usually make it clear.

Education

  • Bachelor of Commerce

    Victoria University of Wellington

    Majors in Management, and Human Resources and Industrial Relations

  • Diploma in Communication Skills

    Trinity College London

How I work

Simple to start. Clear from the first conversation.

  1. 01

    Conversation

    We talk through what's happening and what you need to communicate.

    • What's happening
    • What you need to communicate
    • The audiences involved
    • Timing
    • Internal capability
    • The outcome you want

  2. 02

    Scope

    I define how we'll work, so everyone knows what to expect.

    • Deliverables
    • Responsibilities
    • Timeline
    • Working model
    • Project or ongoing support structure

  3. 03

    Delivery

    I work alongside your organisation and deliver the communications.

I don't just recommend what should happen. I can help deliver it.

Working together

Three ways to work together.

01

Defined project

For organisations with a specific outcome in mind.

Ideal for

A communications strategy, an organisational announcement, a transformation, an executive messaging project, a launch or a change programme.

Discuss a project

02

Ongoing support

Reserved communications capacity every month.

Ideal for

Organisations that need regular communications expertise but not another permanent hire.

Discuss ongoing support

03

Team capacity

I become an extension of your existing communications, marketing or leadership team.

Ideal for

Leave cover, workload increases, transformation, project periods, specialist support and capability gaps.

Check availability

Need experienced communications support?

Whether you have a defined project, an organisational change approaching or simply need more communications capacity, start with a conversation.

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Contact

Tell me what's happening.

A few lines is plenty. I'll read it personally and come back to you.