As the organisation continues to reimagine and develop its service offerings across disability, child youth and families, mental health and aged care, the new Co-CEO will continue to build on operational excellence ensuring optimal experience for clients and over 3,500 staff.
The Brief
Future Leadership™ had previously partnered with the Board of this national, customer-centred human services organisation to appoint two Board Directors and in 2023 the Board approached Future Leadership™ to support the organisation appoint a new Co-Chief Executive Officer. As the organisation continues to reimagine and develop its service offerings across disability, child youth and families, mental health and aged care, the new Co-CEO was expected to continue to build on operational excellence ensuring optimal experience for clients and over 3,500 staff.
Candidate net Promote 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
The Consultant team for the assignment, led by Deborah Komesaroff, undertook a detailed briefing with the Board and found there was a clear mandate from the Board to appoint a leader who had a record of leading a large multidisciplinary workforce and driving organisational performance, including growing services. Recognised as being commercially astute and financially literate, they sought to appoint a Co-CEO who was strategic, consumer-oriented and who had unwavering commitment to excellence. Deborah Komesaroff undertook a comprehensive search across Australia focussing on organisations with considerable scale. The shortlisted candidates were assessed against nominated capabilities in the Future Leadership Capability Framework and several rounds of interviews were conducted.
Key steps included:
- Targeted Search and Talent Pooling: Future Leadership™ conducted a comprehensive search process targeting potential candidates within the sector.
- Comprehensive Shortlisting: The client was presented with a short list of highly qualified candidates with exceptional experience.
- Panel Interviews and Strategic Presentation: The Future Leadership™ team worked closely with the client to complete panel interviews, plus full referencing and required probity checking to confirm an appointment.
Emerging Capabilities
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.
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.
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.
Innovation and Creativity
Positively challenges the status quo, expected norms, and workplace paradigms. Contributes new ideas, solutions, and perspectives to current challenges and thinking practices enabling the creation of new products, solutions and opportunities.
Commercial Acumen
Provides a deep understanding of relevant industry, marketplace and business drivers as applicable to the organisation. Leverages the application of commercial tools and frameworks to manage opportunities, conflicts and trade offs. Able to focus on customer service requirements and acts proactively to raise the customer experience.
Initiative and Drive
Leads self by working independently, setting and attaining personal and work related goals, and demonstrating motivation and responsibility for their own actions. Demonstrates awareness of personal strengths and improvement areas. Effectively relates to others in a professional manner.
The Outcome
After multiple rounds of interviews to ensure optimal alignment of fit between candidates and the organisation, an appointment was made with the successful candidate commencing in the role in 2024.
The successful candidate brings a wealth of expertise, including a distinguished 20-year career in the Australian Defence Force as a medical officer, where they cared for individuals with serious injuries and physical and intellectual disabilities. They was directly involved in their rehabilitation and worked closely with their families to ensure they were also supported. The candidate also demonstrates a deep commitment to the organisation’s purpose, vision and values, being invested in maintaining a focus on human rights as well as fostering a safe, harmonious and productive work culture where people can thrive and grow, and where they can continue to exceed the expectations of the people and communities being served.
