“I have the same passion and tenacity for business that I devoted to my sport.”

- co-founder of richardson:o’rourke, BGA Group and former nationally ranked swimmer and triathlete Stuart Richardson

Stuart, who has relegated his sporting status to “weekend warrior”, is currently focussed on his international ranking as a renowned management consultant and award-winning entrepreneur.

He has applied the same ambition, drive and vision that saw him excel in sport to those high-growth businesses he is involved in, adding to his already long list of achievements with inclusion in Australian Anthill’s 30under30. In recognition of their outstanding entrepreneurial endeavours, the 30under30 are said to be the future of business in Australia.

Driven by a desire to choose his own path and an equal desire to help others do the same, Stuart doesn’t settle for the status-quo, preferring to test the status quo in pursuit of ‘greatness’.

In 2002, at age 23, he started richardson:o’rourke, a dynamic capability partner which challenges the bounds of traditional consulting, with business partner David O’Rourke.

His strategic and innovative capacity has seen his company’s revenue increase by more than 100 per cent for five years; secured millions of dollars of contracts from major Federal government departments and a diverse range of corporations from NASDAQ 100 to other high-growth SMEs.

Stuart’s latest venture, Business Growth Accelerator (BGA Group), was conceived whilst night-riding on the mountain bike with a good friend and now co-founder. BGA Group brings together a team of battle-scarred entrepreneurs, to provide mentoring, specialist advisory, and capital to entrepreneurs and their businesses to realise their potential.

Stuart is a lateral thinker who has a talent for integrating his extensive experience with innovative contemporary management thinking.

Stuart, who trained as an aeronautical engineer, has a master of management and has worked as a consultant across a broad range of management and technical domains for more than a decade.

He is a member of many professional and business associations and can take much of the credit for his company becoming a finalist in the 2006 and 2007 Telstra Business Awards and being featured by BRW and SmartCompany as one of Australia’s fastest growing and most innovative companies for the last three years.

“To me being an ‘entrepreneur’ is more of a journey – rather than a destination or title”, Stuart said.

Australian Anthill’s June/July issue is out now.

Media Release - 10 Jun 08

richardson:o’rourke number 11 on SmartCompany Top 50

Business capability partner richardson:o’rourke has been awarded number 11 in the SmartCompany Top 50 list for 2007.

As the top ranking property and business services company and the only Canberra based company to make the list, richardson:o’rourke placed alongside some of Australia’s top earners. Revenue for 2006-07 for the SmartCompany50 ranged from $177 million to $1 million while average growth rates ranged from 781% to 23%.

The SmartCompany Awards were designed to unearth Australia’s brightest entrepreneurs for 2007. According to SmartCompany Editor, Amanda Gome, the aim was to "discover Australia’s fastest growing and most innovative companies who are changing the business landscape."

richardson:o’rourke fits this description perfectly. The company began after founders, Stuart Richardson and David O’Rourke, identified an opportunity to do things better. Their services are guided by the central theme of bridging the knowing-doing gap and the translation of knowledge, skills and experience to their clients to deliver outcomes.

“The results come from delivering enhanced business outcomes, not just on knowing how to. So, that’s exactly what we focus on delivering to our clients” said Executive Director, Stuart Richardson.

Today, they partner with a range of high-profile government, corporate and SME clients to deliver enhanced business capability.

The company employs a multi-disciplinary team in Canberra and Melbourne bringing together a range of subject matter experts - from systems engineers and brand strategists, to ‘battle-scarred’ programme managers and business management consultants with over 20 years experience.

Managing Director, David O’Rourke said, “We have a fantastic team and an organisational culture which enables us to attract and retain the best talent in the market. It’s through their passion and commitment that we are able to continue to succeed.”

richardson:o’rourke undertakes work ranging from strategic and account planning for multi-national corporations, to working with Australia’s largest engineering consultancy and Federal Government departments to provide specialist project management and enterprise technology advice. They also work alongside a diverse range of high-growth companies providing everything from strategic analysis and planning, market segmentation and brand strategies, to the whole business lifecycle.

The Awards were presented by Minister for Small Business, Fran Bailey and SmartCompany publisher, Amanda Gome.

Media Release - 17 Sep 07

richardson:o’rourke discovered as one of Australia’s fastest and most innovative companies

richardson:o’rourke has been selected in the SmartCompany Top 50 list for the SmartCompany Awards 2007 beating hundreds of entrants. The SmartCompany.com.au Awards will unearth Australia’s brightest entrepreneurs who are changing the business landscape and discover Australia’s fastest growing and most innovative companies.

Along with the Top 50 List, winners of eight prestigious awards including Best Innovator, Millionaire Entrepreneur, Fastest Growth and 2007 SmartCompany, judged by Australia’s best entrepreneurs and experts, will be announced on September 14.

Business capability partner, richardson:o’rourke is no stranger to success. The company has increased its revenue by more than a 100 per cent each of the five years it has been operating, been listed in BRW’s Upstarts 2006 and Fast Starters 2007, and twice been selected as finalists in the prestigious Telstra Business Awards.

They also recently opened their first satellite office in St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

“It was a logical extension for our company,” Executive Director (Strategy) Stuart Richardson explained. “Melbourne provides a robust and exciting market for our services, allowing us to apply our talents in industry sectors including banking & finance, and the burgeoning small-to-medium enterprise market.”

richardson:o’rourke began providing project management expertise to the market in 2002 and have since branched into complementary domains including enterprise technology, strategy & business improvement, and marketing & communications. Today, they partner with a range of Government, corporate and SME clients to deliver enhanced business capability.

The company employs a multi-disciplinary team in Canberra and Melbourne bringing together a range of subject matter experts - from systems engineers and brand strategists, to ‘battle-scarred’ programme managers and business management consultants with over 20 years experience.

Managing Director, David O’Rourke said, “We have a fantastic team and an organisational culture which enables us to attract and retain the best talent in the market. It’s through their passion and commitment that we are able to continue to succeed.”

richardson:o’rourke undertakes work ranging from strategic and account planning for multi-national corporations, to working with Australia’s largest engineering consultancy and Federal Government departments to provide specialist project management and enterprise technology advice. Most recently, they have begun been working alongside a diverse range of high-growth companies providing everything from a strategic analysis and planning, market segmentation and brand strategies, to the whole business lifecycle.

The Awards will be presented by Minister for Small Business, Fran Bailey and SmartCompany publisher, Amanda Gome at a cocktail function held at Morgans at 401Collins St, Melbourne

Media Release - 10 Sep 07

richardson:o’rourke to Contest for Telstra Honours

Telstra announced 137 businesses from across Australia as finalists in the 2007 Telstra Business Awards. The finalists will compete for honours at state and territory presentations in the coming months.

With 25 employees, richardson:o’rourke will compete in the Panasonic Australia Business Award category which is open to companies with 21 – 50 employees.

richardson:o’rourke’s Managing Director, David O’Rourke, said, “Our selection for the second year running reflects the quality of the people, partners and mentors who contribute to richardson:o'rourke’s growth journey.”

Adds Executive Director Strategy, Stuart Richardson, “The Telstra Business Awards Program is a valuable external validation of our commitment to innovation.”

RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE have established a reputation as expert problem solvers, capable of solving their client’s most complex business challenges. They spend a lot of time getting to know their clients so they can tailor solutions and ultimately transfer skills to the client.

Group Managing Director of Telstra Business and the Telstra Business Awards Ambassador, Ms Deena Shiff, said she was impressed with the high calibre of finalists this year.

“This year’s finalists are leading the way in the business community," Ms Shiff said.

The ACT awards will be presented at a black tie event at the Great Hall, Parliament House on 31 Jul 07.

Media Release - 29 Jul 07

Fast-growth Canberra company makes prestigious BRW Fast Starters list for the second time running

One of the few Canberra companies to ever make the BRW Fast Starters list (previously UpStarts) was named one of Australia’s fastest-growing start-ups for the second year in a row on April 26.

Management consultancy RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE has increased its revenue by more than a 100 per cent each of the five years it has been operating.

They planned to go global from the beginning. The company will open a Melbourne office in June, has plans to expand into Hong Kong and Dubai within the next 18 months and into the UK, the US and all major Australian cities within five years.

The company’s international rate of growth is expected to outstrip its Australian growth rate shortly.

Executive Director Stuart Richardson said, “Australia is only between 2 and 3 per cent of the world economy. But, you only get one chance. If you fail in business here you get thrown on the scrap heap.”

“The lessons we’ve learnt in Australia will help to guide our international expansion.”

Managing Director David O’Rourke said, “Stuart and I are like-minded and have the passion to achieve our goals. We knew from the early days that together we stood a good chance of getting other like-minded passionate people to work for us.”

The company has worked hard to develop a profile of its “ideal client” and actively seeks clients that share their vision and drive.

RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE spends a lot of time getting to know its clients so it can tailor solutions to the organisation, implement effective mentoring and skills-transfer systems, avoid duplication, save its client’s time and money and, ultimately, enhance workplace cultures over time.

“Fundamentally we solve our clients’ business challenges through a blend of experience and innovation and equip them with the skills to ensure these solutions endure,” David said.

The decision to open their first satellite office in St Kilda, Melbourne, is an example of the lateral but deliberate thinking that RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE is quickly gaining a reputation for.

“It was a logical extension,” Stuart explained. “The culture of our business is more aligned to Melbourne than, say, Sydney. Melbourne has a strong sense of community and is more relationship-based. It’s much like Canberra in many ways.”

The company’s founders are youthful – Stuart was just 23 and David 31 when they went into business – inspired by the challenge to excel in an industry that has tremendous potential.

Quality is a cornerstone of their success.

“Our larger competitors do have some good people but we saw an opportunity to do things better,” Stuart said.

RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE began providing project management expertise to the market and over time, in line with their business plan, branched into associated specialities. This is in contrast to some of their multi-national competitors who began as accountants and branched into the high-growth area of management consultancy.

Stuart an engineer and David a project manager, worked from home offices for their first two years. They moved to a Manuka office and hired their first staff member in their third year of business. The company now employs 24 exceptional staff members, has recently outgrown its Manuka office and is about to relocate to a Braddon office, which is four times as large.

Management consultancy RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE specialises in project and program management, strategy and business improvement, enterprise technology and marketing and communications.

The company has, as of this year, worked for almost every major federal government department and for numerous commercial clients on projects involving anything from 10 to 100,000 people. About 75 per cent of its jobs are repeat business.

Media Release - 24 Apr 07

2006 Telstra Business Awards

Following from their recent success with inclusion in the 2006 BRW Upstart list, RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE was selected as a finalist in the prestigious Telstra Business Awards.

RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE is a finalist in the MYOB Business Award, a category open to all businesses in the Canberra region with more than five and less than, or equal to twenty employees.

Since its inception in 2002 RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE’S two founders Stuart Richardson and David O’Rourke, have grown this Canberra based management consultancy from a two person company servicing a single client, to a complement of 15 staff delivering end-to-end business solutions and consulting services to a broad range of Government and commercial clients.

“Our inclusion as finalists in the 2006 Telstra Business Awards is due to the efforts of our whole team and their commitment to our growth and expansion plans” says Managing Director, David O’Rourke.

“This achievement is recognition of our strong business vision and client focus” adds Director (Strategy), Stuart Richardson.

At 27 and 35 respectively Stuart and David are ambitious and like-minded, aiming to grow RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE to Australia's own tier one management consultancy.

The 2006 Telstra Business Awards were presented at a black tie dinner at the Great Hall, Parliament House.

Media Release - 10 Aug 06

One of Australia's best Start-ups

Each year, the Business Review Weekly (BRW) sets out to identify Australia’s fastest-growing start-up companies releasing the BRW UpStarts list. To qualify, companies must be between two and four years old, have at least $500,000 in revenue for 2004-2005 and have more than one main customer.

According to BRW, upstarts are innovators, and are changing the way business is done. Upstart companies raise the performance bar; they cause large companies to change their strategy and they knock out unwary competitors.

Established in 2002 by the Directors Stuart Richardson and David O’Rourke, RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE been selected for the list in 2006. The company has grown from a two person operation servicing a single client, to a complement of 15 full time staff delivering solutions to a broad range of Government and commercial clients in just over three years.

“We’ve been very deliberate in our approach to the business, and we see this achievement as recognition of the hard work our team has put in over the last three and a half years” says Managing Director, David O’Rourke.

According to BRW, RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE's deliberate approach is very typical of upstarts who are passionate about planning; most spending at least one day a week, usually more, planning for growth.

RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE has sought to compete and differentiate based on quality, delivering premium solutions to their valued clients. Adopting a methodology of innovation and strategy, RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE displays a fresh approach to consulting, offering fit-for-purpose solutions.

Mr O’Rourke says: “We’ve purposefully adopted a strategy of employing proven performers who have a reputation for getting things done - people who are able to innovate and bring fresh ideas to the table.”

The company’s success has been built on the quality of its people. RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE believes that part of the secret is investing in their people, providing flexible and contemporary professional development programs. This is again typical of Upstarts, who BRW says have no trouble attracting the people they need because they are very generous to employees.

“We invite our employees to join us on a journey. They understand that this is their opportunity to shape the future of RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE and be a part of something fresh and exciting” adds Director (Strategy), Stuart Richardson.

As one of only two Canberra based companies to ever make the BRW Upstarts list, RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE is well on the way to achieving its goal to be a market leader, both nationally and abroad.

Media Release - 16 Feb 06

richardson:o’rourke is proud to announce the launch of our newest capability, providing Marketing & Communications consulting services.

The addition of the specialist Marketing & Communications services complements our existing consulting services, enabling the delivery of complete end-to-end solutions.

Consistent with richardson:o’rourke's established culture, our marketing & communications practice is focused on delivering measurable outcomes, via proven methodologies, process frameworks and world's best practice tools and techniques, and a commitment to identifying and applying the most effective approach when developing solutions for your business environment. Our Marketing & Communications team has extensive experience across the entire campaign lifecycle, enabling the delivery of measurable and tangible returns on investment.

Our flexibility enables the delivery of complete campaign management, advisory services or a surge capacity for your current marketing and communications team. We provide independent marketing and/or communiations advice, and also have the ability to deliver end-to-end IMC solutions drawing on our networks with leading independent research, creative and production agencies.

The methodology employed by our marketing consultants will best utilise your existing corporate knowledge, whilst drawing on our marketing & communications consultants' extensive experience. At the tactical level, our consultants will complement and enhance your existing marketing and/or communications capacity, to successfully deliver comprehensive marketing & communications projects.

Email us at marketing@richardson-orourke.com if you'd like to know more.

Media Release - 1 Dec 05

Management consultancy RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE has been made a finalist in the prestigious 2007 Telstra Business Awards. Download the article (99kb).

Canberra management gurus make prestigious list for the second year running. Download the article (137kb).

Burgeoning management consultancy RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE has celebrated a national accolade by announcing ambitious expansion plans. Download the article (116kb).

Many people see project management as a black art only practiced successfully by those possessing that certain something. Download the article (1,560kb).

With specialist skills in project & programme management, RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE was featured in the Public Sector Informant. Download the article (208kb).

RICHARDSON:O’ROURKE has been recognised as one of Canberra's leading management consulting firms, being named a finalist in the Telstra Business Awards. Download the article (98kb).

A Canberra management consultancy aiming to grow from a million dollar operation to a billion dollar one has made the Business Review Weekly's Upstarts 2006 list. Download the article (133kb).

Clients, partners, family and friends joined the richardson:o'rourke team to celebreate our 5th Birthday with a 1920's theme party at the National War Memorial. Read More

A walk around Lake Burley Griffin was held on Sunday 20 May 2007 to honour and celebrate the life of Evan Hourigan.

Evan was a proud and popular Canberran who participated in many sporting and social events and a key member of the richardson:o’rourke team. He was 34 when he tragically passed away while competing in a triathlon.

Evan was married with a young son Kai - his second child is due in July 2007. Over 1000 people attended the event with all proceeds going towards supporting Evan's young children with their development and educational needs for the future.

Further donations can be made to the following account:

• WalterTurnbull Pty Ltd – Evan Hourigan Memorial Walk
• Account Number: 062 919 1028 2636

Download the flyer (115kb).

Wish Day Cocktail Party – Apr 06

In support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Australia, richardson:o’rourke was proud to host a charity auction and cocktail party to celebrate Wish Day in Canberra. Wish Day is a national day of fundraising and celebration, bringing the nation’s attention to the Foundations important and magical mission: To bring magic and joy to children with life threatening illnesses by granting their most cherished wishes.

The evening was a great success raising over $10,000 with all proceeds going towards the Canberra Branch of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Following on from the success of the cocktail party, richardson:o’rourke is proud to announce our ongoing support to the Make-A-Wish Foundation throughout 2006.