Delivering an Executive Search to establish operational leadership for a newly formed public youth mental health service in metropolitan Melbourne
The Brief
Future Leadership was engaged by a newly established public youth mental health service in metropolitan Melbourne to appoint its inaugural Chief Operating Officer. The organisation was created as part of a state-wide mental health reform agenda, following the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, with responsibility for delivering specialist, community and inpatient mental health services for young people aged 12 to 25.
Candidate Net Promoter Score
Future Leadership combines truly personalised relationships with innovative technology solutions to ensure an approachable and efficient process for all our Net Promoter Score across clients, successful candidates and unsuccessful candidates is well above industry standard.
Candidates supported every year
We maintain genuine relationships with past candidates and continue to support them with leadership solutions long term, after they land their role.
Senior Women Appointed since 2002
Over half of the executive search assignments undertaken by our team have resulted in the appointment of outstanding female or LGBTQI+ leaders to high profile roles.
Candidate Retention Rate for 12 months since 2002
Our thorough briefing process and ability to engage passive candidates mean that we go to great lengths to find the right person for the role – long term!
The Process
Future Leadership undertook a comprehensive executive search process tailored to the needs of a newly formed public health organisation operating in a complex reform environment.
Engaged with the Chief Executive Officer and Board to understand the strategic intent, reform context and operational leadership required to establish the service and transition clinical teams into a new organisational structure.
Implemented a national search strategy supported by a targeted advertising campaign across executive platforms, leveraging sector networks and proprietary databases to identify senior leaders with experience in youth mental health, public health operations and system reform.
Candidates were assessed through Future Leadership interviews, capability‑based evaluation, and rigorous reference checking, with a focus on governance, stakeholder engagement, workforce leadership and operational excellence.
Four candidates progressed to panel interview, where final candidates presented their strategic approach to operationalising a newly established youth mental health service to a panel comprising executive leaders and sector stakeholders.
Governance and Compliance
Engages stakeholders inclusively with sensitivity and regard for diversity and facilitates a psychologically safe environment for social or cultural differences affecting behaviour.
Stakeholder Relations
Works strategically and systemically to encourage diverse thinking with all types of people. Actively contributes to teamwork, and deliberately builds relationships and networks across a range of people and communities.
Organisational Capability
Anticipates future workplace skills and requirements and builds capability across the organisation. Pro-actively seeks opportunities to develop other people’s talent and career pathways and takes appropriate action to address skill gaps in others.
Strategy and Purpose
Leads transformational processes, motivates teams, and influences commitment to a shared purpose that individuals and the workforce will require to enable sustained organisational success. Builds and promotes a culture underpinning the vision, purpose and values the organisation aspires to achieve.
Culture and Engagement
Engages stakeholders inclusively with sensitivity and regard for diversity and facilitates a psychologically safe environment for social or cultural differences affecting behaviour.
The Outcome
The process resulted in the appointment of a seasoned health executive with extensive experience leading large‑scale mental health services, managing complex clinical operations, and delivering reform initiatives within public health settings.
The appointed Chief Operating Officer brought demonstrated capability in workforce leadership, governance, financial management and service transformation, with a strong track record of embedding lived experience and research‑informed practice into service design and delivery.
The appointment has enabled the organisation to establish a high‑performing operational model, integrate research into practice, and deliver safe, inclusive and developmentally appropriate mental health care for young people across multiple sites, supporting the service’s role as a cornerstone of youth mental health reform in Victoria.
