Profile
“We believe effective advising means helping people understand not just what questions they have, but the depth behind them. Teaching this way deepens relationships and leads to lasting connections”
Michael Bisaro,
StraightLine
With a career inspired by a passion for people and business strategy, Sarah Novelli has become a transformative leader in the human resources space.
Originally studying psychology, Novelli’s journey into HR began when a corporate HR team sparked her curiosity about employee engagement, leadership development, and capability building. Shadowing their work inspired her to shift her academic focus, leading to a bachelor’s major in HR and a master’s degree in legal and ethics, with a specialisation in industrial relations. Today, with 15 years of experience, Novelli serves as executive director of people and culture at BGIS, a global leader in facilities management. Over the past three years, BGIS has undergone aggressive growth, tripling in size, and Novelli has been instrumental in ensuring the organisation has the right talent in the right roles at the right time.
“HR functions are game changers for companies seeking a competitive advantage,” Novelli asserts. Her approach empowers her team of HR, recruitment, learning, and systems leaders to operate with creativity and autonomy, driving innovative solutions aligned with organisational strategy.
A proponent of data-driven decision-making, Novelli has led the development of a digital dashboard tool that provides managers with real-time insights, including turnover, tenure, and gender demographics. This tool enables targeted strategies tailored to team needs, ensuring HR initiatives deliver measurable ROI.
“This is the best time to be in HR,” she says. “We are no longer a support function but strategic leaders shaping the future of organisations.”
Novelli’s forward-thinking leadership continues to redefine the role of HR, demonstrating its critical impact on business success.
L36, 680 George St., Sydney, NSW 2000
0429912013
sarah.novelli@apac.bgis.com
linkedin.com/in/sarahnovelli
apac.bgis.com
Sarah Novelli
Executive Director, People and Culture BGIS
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“Transitioning from a pure advisory focus to a combined leadership and advisory position has made balancing all responsibilities with limited time especially difficult. To address this, we’re bringing in people who can share the load, training our team to handle more, and implementing new tools to boost productivity”
Michael Bisaro,
StraightLine
2010
2015
2017
2018
2020–present
Started her HR career
2010
HR Business Partner at Ventia
2015
Graduated with Bachelor of Business, Human Resources
2017
HR Business Partner at BGIS
2018
2020: HR Business Manager at BGIS
2021: Graduated with Master in Law and Ethics, specialising in Industrial Relations
2022: Executive Director, People and Culture at BGIS
2020– present
Milestones
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
“Transitioning from a pure advisory focus to a combined leadership and advisory position has made balancing all responsibilities with limited time especially difficult,” he says. “To address this, we’re bringing in people who can share the load, training our team to handle more, and implementing new tools to boost productivity. It’s just as challenging as I expected, especially letting go of tasks I once handled directly. Ultimately, it all comes back to managing capacity, time, and the continual adjustments that come with it.”
With an aging wealth management industry, Bisaro has placed much of StraightLine’s attention on internal mentorship. By partnering with various universities, Bisaro and StraightLine are providing opportunities for the advisors who will be carrying the industry’s torch into the next era.
“The mentoring aspect of what we’re doing has really defined our corner of the industry. It’s become central to how we grow, not just as a firm, but as individual professionals. Mentorship allows us to expand our capabilities beyond ourselves and ensures that knowledge and experience are carried forward,” he explains.
“Of course, there’s a practical benefit to our firm in cultivating future talent, but it goes far beyond that. The industry needs this. People need this. Supporting and developing the next generation of advisors is a natural and essential extension of who we are and what we do.”