Shane Wells Bio

Shane Wells has been involved in communications management for two decades, working for the public sector, industry and as a communications consultant.

Shane Wells started dealing with the media as President of the National Union of Students, Queensland in 1989, conducting a number of print and electronic interviews. Wells also began to develop campaign and stakeholder management skills, successfully leading a coalition of students and staff to scuttle an ill-conceived university campus merger, and winning major affiliation referenda on Queensland higher education campuses.

As an electorate officer for Federal Member of Parliament, Hon Con Sciacca, Wells further developed his media management skills and began to acquire a deep understanding of political and parliamentary processes. When Sciacca was appointed Minister for Veterans Affairs, Wells followed as his policy adviser, assuming responsibility for a number of areas, such as aged care and income support. During this period Wells worked on a veterans' pilgrimage to the World War II battlefields in Papua New Guinea as part of the Australia Remembers commemorations.

After politics Wells worked for the Metal Trades Industry Association in Sydney, which later became the Australian Industry Group (AIG). Developing a keen sense of major business advocacy and manufacturing industry policy, Wells edited AIG's major publications and developed a host of communications strategies and materials.

At the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as Head of Corporate Communications Shane Wells worked assiduously on building strategies and procedures for effective issues management. During the seven years Wells spent at the national broadcaster, there were a number of memorable crises.

The turbulent managing directorship of Jonathan Shier led to a flurry of front pages. His resignation even led the media coverage on one day during the 2001 Federal Election. Wells absorbed valuable lessons during this tumultuous 17 month period and applied critical planning processes to issues management at the ABC. These processes assisted the corporation greatly as it later faced serious and sustained criticism from the Federal Government over its Iraq war Coverage.

Wells also managed the full range of corporate communications responsibilities at the ABC, including:

administering the ABC's corporate website About the ABC

administering the ABC intranet

managing internal and external publications

media management for the board and the managing director

A number of key policy and program launches; including ABC Kids, ABC Asia Pacific and the opening of the ABC Ultimo Centre.

Early in 2006 Mr Wells accepted a position as Corporate Affairs Manager at the Cross City Tunnel (CCT), one of Australia's most controversial infrastructure projects. During his time at the CCT, the company had a much publicised disagreement with the state government, went into receivership, was placed on the market and sold to a consortia led by ABN Amro. Mr Wells reformed stakeholder management processes, air quality reporting procedures and implemented a website and marketing strategy for the new owners of the CCT.

After a brief period with an infrastructure consultancy Mr Wells decided to start his own communications business enabling him to be selective in his work projects and to spend more time with his family. Wells Communications was established in December 2008, concentrating on providing high level communications strategy and content services to business and government.

Early in 2009 Wells Communications was successful in tendering for content services for the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations. This was the first tender ever submitted by Wells Communications. In November 2009 Wells Communications was admitted to a creative and design panel for multiple Australian Government agencies, including: Centrelink; Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Dept of Immigration and Citizenship; Dept of Prime Minister and Cabinet.