Our people
Virginia Wilton, Director and managing editor
BA (ANU), Dip.Ed. (UPNG), MA and MPhil (Columbia), Accredited Editor (AE)
Virginia is the government publishing consultant of choice on demanding projects that involve the coordination of many authors, complex clearance processes and hard deadlines. She has managed more than 2,000 government publishing projects.
In 1996 Virginia was substantive editor of the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines, and served as managing editor of the Canberra Bulletin of Public Administration from 1996 to 2001. She has an informed understanding of the policy development process, and a strong commitment to professional values. In 2007 she managed publication of the Report of the Task Force on Emissions Trading; and in 2008 she was lead editor and project manager for the reports of the Garnaut Climate Change Review.
An experienced teacher and trainer, Virginia provides the highest levels of quality assurance over editorial processes. She has an exceptional ability to turn a complex picture into a clear vision of what needs to be done, find the best people to do it and motivate them to do it well.
Virginia is the inaugural chair of the Council of the national Institute of Professional Editors. She was one of the first editors in Australia to gain the qualification Accredited Editor (AE). She was a finalist in the 2003 Telstra Business Women’s Awards.
Bruce Hanford, Managing director
MAICD
Bruce manages WHH and works for selected clients. He enjoys building teams with different kinds of expertise. Bruce is a member of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, manages the Graduate Program in Scientific Leadership for the University of Melbourne and is accredited in psychometric and multi-rater instruments and a member of executive coaching panels.
Bruce led investigative reporting teams in the 1970s and edited the Australian edition of Rolling Stone. His journalism won awards and helped governments see the need for judicial inquiries and Royal Commissions. In commercial research his clients included Medibank Private, Prime Computers, LendLease Corporation, the Australia Council and the ABC’s legal team.
Bruce was an Australian public servant from 1982 to 1996. He worked in public communications, business analysis, national curriculum development and new policy development. He set up a research program into international education markets that was commended by the OECD as the world benchmark; and managed start-up of the Australian International Education Foundation (AIEF). He is proud of his role in the APS team that provided policy and industry support in the era when export earnings from education grew from $0.8 billion to more than $4 billion a year.
Larissa Joseph, Senior editor
BA (UPenn), Accredited Editor (AE)
Before joining WHH in 2007, Larissa was a senior editor for 10 years in the Philadelphia office of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, a large international law firm. In that role she edited legal documents for readability and accuracy, coordinated and managed projects, and trained new editors. She also edited white papers, news releases, seminar papers, newsletters, and two legal handbooks: the Handbook of Investment in the United States and the Hedge Fund Deskbook.
Larissa migrated to Australia and started with WHH in 2007. One of her first assignments was the Report of the Task Group on Emissions Trading and she has built a fine reputation as an editor of major reports – see strategic reviews.
Larissa graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in Ancient Greek and Latin, and received the classics prize. She was one of the first to receive Accredited Editor status in Australia and is now chair of the Accreditation Board of the Institute of Professional Editors.
Les Brown, Executive manager, operations
Les began his career as a hot metal lithographer with Fairfax Newspapers, and for more than 40 years has been actively involved in the technological revolution in the publishing industry. In the 1970s he transferred to Canberra to help introduce new technology at the Canberra Times. He then set up Brown & Co. Typesetting to support the prime contractor for Australian Government advertising, Neville Jeffress. Over eight years, Brown & Co. never missed a production deadline. Les was a director of a joint venture, Brown & Wilton Integrated Publishing, before joining WHH in 2004 to manage production operations. His capacity to keep many concurrent projects moving to schedule, deep industry experience and unerring eye help create outstanding value.
Leonie McCulloch, Finance manager
Leonie manages WHH’s money. She started her career as a technical officer in a medical research laboratory, before becoming a small business proprietor and bookkeeper. She has been with WHH since its inception in 1997. Our bank tells us that she is responsible for WHH having one of the best cash management profiles of any small Australian business.
Lali Foster, Business development coordinator
Lali assists the directors with business development as well as supporting client projects. She has strong analytical and writing skills and practical people and task management skills acquired in a broad range of contexts.
Associates
Bem le Hunte
MA in social anthropology (Cantab)
Bem consults on communication strategies, advertising campaigns and the development of deep online information sites. Read more.
Danny Samson
BSc in chemical engineering (Melb) PhD in management (AGSM)
Danny is Professor of Management at the University of Melbourne and consults in strategic management and decision analysis. Read more.
Eddie Ridwan
PhD in computer science (University of Canterbury)
Eddie has an international track record as a business analyst, applications architect and senior consultant in ITC, and is an expert in search strategies. Read more.
Jaana Smith
Jaana is a master operator from the Brown & Co Typesetting stable who has supported WHH for many years. Read more.
Jill Thompson
BA (Monash), MBA (Melb)
Jill supports WHH clients by consulting on human resources strategies and issues, designing transformational learning and delivering executive coaching. Read more.
John Lonergan
BCom (Melb) Grad Dip in Org Change & Development (RMIT)
John consults on organisational culture and learning and coaches boards and senior leadership groups Read more.
Leon Sterling
BSc Hons (Melb) PhD in pure mathematics (ANU)
Leon is Dean of of Information and Communications Technologies at Swinburne University and author of The Art of Agent Oriented Modeling. Read more.
Maggie Kirkman
BSc Hons (Melb) PhD (LaTrobe) APS
Maggie is a registered psychologist, educator, researcher and author in the field of human reproduction and assists WHH in the field of reflective practice. Read more.
Richard Jones
BSc Hons and PhD in physics (Trinity) APS
Richard is a leading consultant in research, development and commercialisation of software support for intelligence analysis and investigations. Read more.
Robyn Leason
Masters in Internet Communication (University of Canberra)
Robyn is a member of our publishing and digital features networks. She has developed many online versions of government publications. Read more.
Roger Lough AM
PhD in physical chemistry, GradDip AICD
Roger is a former Australian Chief Defence Scientist who advises on governance, organisational development and innovation. Read more.
Sasha Agafonoff
BA/LLB Hons (ANU)
Sasha has worked in the areas of expert systems, software outsourcing, intelligence management and web application development to become an extraordinary creative developer of online communication. Read more.
