In August 2011, our Managing Director, Neil Butler, established XERA Consulting, initially to manage some contracting opportunities that were coming his way in the Higher Education sector. There was no great plan or vision at that stage - just a business structure that met the needs of one or two clients.

In June 2017, though, we decided that it was time to change our outlook - to embrace the way we operated and announce it to the world.

We became Untypical.

Initially, we operated under a new business name - Untypical Thinking - developing products that reflected our untypical approach to problem solving and the generation of ideas. But with the development of our business to include Untypical Media and Untypical Regional, we have reverted, simply, to Untypical, with a tag line of Not Like The Others.

So what makes us Untypical - how ARE we different to the others?

• We are not constrained by methodologies, protocols or proprietary processes.
• We don't believe in simply stepping outside of our comfort zone - we believe in taking a flying leap out of it when we need to.
• Simplicity and pragmatism are our hallmarks
• We aren't very good at Buzzword Bingo - we don't talk about swim lanes, tribes and net promoter scores.
• We have a particular dislike of three letter acronyms and unnecessary jargon.
• We don't value qualifications and accreditations anywhere near as much as we value integrity, experience and imaginative thinking.
• We think that transformation without imagination is a wasted opportunity. Ask us about Transformagination® the next time we chat.
• We love leaving our clients with a smile on their faces rather than a massive bill to pay. Sure, we need to be paid but at rates that are fair and reasonable.
• We are very big on would your business could do more so that what they should do.

And we could go on but we won't.

We'd love to have a chat to you about how Untypical could help you and your business to achieve the success you crave. Please reach out to us via our Contact page to set up a no obligation chat about how we can work together!

Neil Butler is the Managing Director of Untypical and describes himself as an untypical thinker. Starting his professional life as a secondary school teacher in regional Victoria, he left teaching for "six months" in 1988 to see what was going on in the outside world and how that could be applied to his teaching.  Here we are, well over 30 years later and the "six months break from teaching" continues.

Since 1989, he has worked in a range of industries including supply chain and logistics, fuels and lubricants, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), higher education, financial services, media and not-for-profit. He has gained experience in a wide variety of local, regional and global roles including education and training, business and technical support, credit management, business process improvement, business analysis, change management and, most recently, transformation leadership. In 2011, he started Xera Consulting - now Untypical - which also gives him great insight into the challenges faced by small business owners.

A chance opportunity to participate in a few radio broadcasts in 2008 has allowed a hobby to also become a job. Neil co-hosts The 2 Blokes Chatting Radio Show in Geelong and, for several years, was part of a calling team for state league football (VFL and VFLW). He has also started hosting a number of podcasts for Untypical and for some of our clients through our newly-rebranded service - Podversations.

Neil has two adult children - Lucy who is a school teacher in regional Victoria and Sam who has started a career in commercial real estate research. In March 2021, Neil graduated to the rank of grandfather with the arrival of Maverick. Neil has been a paid-up member of the Fitzroy and, subsequently, the Brisbane Lions AFL club for almost 40 years and sponsors a young Lions footballer each year via Untypical.