Dr Ellen Pittman
Human Research Ethics Committee member
Experience, background and philosophy
Dr Ellen Pittman works part-time as Senior Lecturer at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre (University of Tasmania), and part-time at the University of Melbourne as Research Fellow, in the Department of Social Work. She also works in boutique strategic consulting. Ellen specialises in organisational performance analysis and culture change in the health and human services, higher education, public administration, and not-for-profit sectors. Her doctoral studies culminated in the development of the 'Hive Model for High Performance' – a business transformation approach inspired by the honeybee and based on the principles of complex adaptive systems theory. In 2026, Ellen's first book: 'Hive Leadership' is due to be published (Business Expert Press).
Ellen is particularly interested in research and theory that can be readily translated into real-world benefit, and she invests heavily in the development of diagnostic tools and decision aids to provide leaders with practical pathways for improvement. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Ellen provided strategic policy advice to government and she has led large-scale change and reform programs.