Cerno - Profiles

Dr Dave George

Dave is a registered psychologist with over 25 years experience designing and implementing management assessment systems, development programmes, 360 feedback programmes, and organisational culture and climate diagnostic programmes. Dave has worked extensively with Chief Executives and senior managers in the public and private sectors, with prominent clients including the State Services Commission, ASB Bank, New Zealand Transport Agency, the Warehouse, Police, Wrightsons, Ministry of Health, Southern Cross, New Zealand Defence Forces, AXA, Ministry of Education, UNISYS, and the Victorian Leadership Development Centre.

Dave holds a PhD in Organisational Psychology from Massey University, where he has also lectured and supervised graduate students. He established Cerno with Sharon and Russell in 1996. Previously, he was a Partner at KPMG, where he led the Organisational Psychology Division. Before Dave became an organisational psychologist, he worked in a variety of roles, including as a teacher, lecturer, and a range of management roles in New Zealand and overseas.

Previous clients warn about discussing any of the following topics with Dave: sailing, wine, Taihape, and the five-day marine weather forecast.

Dr Sharon Rippin

Sharon is a registered psychologist with more than 20 years of experience consulting in the areas of competency modelling, managerial development, 360° feedback, capability assessment, design of selection and assessment systems, and performance management. She has extensive experience assessing and coaching Chief Executives and senior managers, with prominent clients including the State Services Commission, ANZ, The Treasury, KiwiRail, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Telecom, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, AMP, Land Information New Zealand, Telstra, Department of Statistics, Yellow Pages, and Ministry for the Environment. Sharon has designed and led developmental assessment programmes for both the New Zealand and the Victorian Leadership Development Centres.

Sharon is known for her doctoral research at Victoria University, which produced the New Zealand Effective Manager Model. She established Cerno with Dave and Russell in 1996. Previously, she worked as a Director at KPMG. Before Sharon became an organisational psychologist, she worked in a variety of roles, including as a barmaid at the Southern Cross and as a prison psychologist. Sharon also has a talent for power-shopping and providing life guidance to people who sit next to her on planes.

Russell McMurray

Russell has an Honours Degree in Business Information Systems and 20 years experience in human resource consulting. Over that period he has gained significant experience in climate survey design, statistical analysis, 360° survey design and analysis, database management, competency analysis, HR strategy and planning, career frameworks, remuneration, and performance management systems.

Russell designed MINT, an online professional development and career management tool that is used by the Ministry of Justice and by the national Institutes of Accountants in New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong. Other notable recent projects include managing the climate survey for Air New Zealand’s staff of over ten thousand people, and conducting research for Inland Revenue into the managerial competencies that best predict positive Gallup survey results. Russell’s other clients have included New Zealand Post, State Services Commission, Ag Research, ESR, Mary Potter Hospice, the Reserve Bank and Treasury.

Russell established Cerno with Dave and Sharon in 1996, and previously worked as an Associate Director at KPMG. His hobbies include spending time with his three beautiful children and going on long mountain-bike treks (to escape his three children).


		Cerno's three Directors oversee all our client assignments.


		There's a lot more to Cerno than our three Directors.

Dr Tania Graham

Tania completed her PhD in psychology at Massey University, where she worked with the New Zealand Police to explore the job expectations of new recruits. She has worked as a Cerno consultant since 2001. She has a wide range of experience in the development and implementation of assessment and development tools, manager assessment, conducting 360 coaching sessions, and workshop facilitation. She has worked with managers and leaders at a wide range of levels, from team leaders and front-line managers to candidates for Chief Executive roles. Tania has worked with a wide range of clients including New Zealand Fire Service, New Zealand Police, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Audit New Zealand, Treasury, Department of Labour, New Zealand Post, Victoria University, Telecom, Wrightsons, AMP, P & O Nedlloyd, and Jade Software Corporation.

In another life, Tania conducted health and safety surveys for forestry workers in Tokoroa, worked as a Customer Services Representatives in Home Décor at Kmart, and put her outstanding penmanship to good use as a notetaker for students with disabilities. She also worked on the 'Lord of the Rings' as a hobbit. Tania is particularly passionate about lunch and is Duran Duran’s number one fan.

Dr Kate Mirfin

Kate is a registered psychologist with over 25 years experience in a wide range of areas (including selection and developmental focused assessment centres, research, workshop facilitation, capability identification, 360 coaching sessions, change management and performance management). Kate has worked with managers and leaders at a wide range of levels, from team leaders and front-line managers to candidates for Chief Executive roles. Kate’s notable clients have included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Reserve Bank, Ministry for the Environment, The Treasury, Victoria University, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and the New Zealand Defence Force.

Kate has worked as a Cerno consultant since 2004. Previously, Kate was the Senior Psychologist for the NZ Army, where she was responsible for the conduct of psychology and psychology-related services and research. While serving with the NZ Army, Kate developed a range of services to assist service people and their families cope with the stresses caused by peacekeeping deployments. Kate has also consulted to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the New Zealand Defence Force. Kate completed her PhD at Massey University, where she researched the Psychological Effects of Peacekeeping Service in Bosnia. Kate’s work has been published in Stress Medicine and Military Medicine.

It’s easy to win favour with Kate by demonstrating your knowledge of nursery rhymes but beware – her Army experience means that she might try to move everything outdoors and get you to negotiate obstacles of a real, rather than metaphorical, nature.

Dr Carl Beuke

Carl is a registered psychologist who has been working in management and leadership development since 2002. He has worked with clients including New Zealand Prisons Service, the New Zealand Transport Agency, Inland Revenue, Jade Software Corporation, Ministry for the Environment and the New Zealand Fire Service. He has worked with managers and leaders at a wide range of levels, from team leaders and front-line managers to candidates for Chief Executive roles. Carl is also experienced in training HR professionals in assessment and test interpretation, and in conducting statistical and psychometric research and development.

Carl holds a PhD in Psychology from Victoria University, where his topic was information processing in depression and anxiety. His PhD research was published in Clinical Psychology Review. He previously worked for Australian Psychologists Press (APP) and the Independent Testing Service of Australia (ITSA).

Carl once worked for a month with a puma in the Bolivian jungle. He is a passionate advocate for world harmony and, to this end, is currently doing what he can to bring NZ and Argentina closer together.

Natalie Flavell

Natalie is a registered psychologist whose experience includes the development of assessment and development tools, managerial assessment, and leadership coaching based on 360 feedback. Natalie has worked with managers and leaders at a wide range of levels, from team leaders and front-line managers to candidates for Chief Executive roles. Her clients have included the New Zealand Prisons Service, Ministry for the Environment, Reserve Bank, New Zealand Transport Agency, Inland Revenue, Waikato District Health Board, New Zealand Fire Service, and Land Information New Zealand.

Natalie holds a Masters Degree in Organisational and Industrial Psychology from Massey University, where she explored the impact of organisational culture on stress, coping strategies and health outcomes of nurses. She has worked as a Cerno consultant since 2006. Previously, Natalie worked for 11 years as an officer of the law. Now she is a law unto herself.

Nancy Wilson

Nancy is Cerno's Practice Manager. Her role is to manage the business side of Cerno, including accounts, resources, staffing, and other office management tasks. Prior to starting at Cerno, she spent fourteen years managing TSW Swim School with her husband (which serviced 1800 customers per week), and worked as a secondary school teacher, where she was Head of Department in Social Sciences and Maths. She holds a BA in Geography and a Diploma in Secondary School Teaching. When she's not at work ensuring the smooth-running of the Cerno team's operation, she acts as manager and corporate sponsor for her daughter's budding career in the worlds of fashion and web design.

Nicole Fitzgibbon

Nicole is Cerno's assessment co-ordinator, and the first point of contact for the majority of the senior managers who attend an Assessment or Development Centre at Cerno. Nicole handles the logistics of the assessment process.

Nicole is adept at keeping everything (and everyone) running on time. In fact running is what she does best. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminology and previously worked for a major daily newspaper in London. She also has a secret identity that she uses to fight crime in the city's slums.

The Porcelain Head

The first thing you'll see when you enter our office is the Phrenology Head. Phrenology is the (thoroughly discredited) study of the bumps of the skull to determine a person's character and mental capacity. Although phrenology has long been recognized as having no scientific merit, it still has its advocates - in fact, phrenological readings are not unlike astrological readings and many who have them done are satisfied that the results are uncannily accurate. We just like the way it looks.