Delivering an executive search for a highly strategic executive to lead clinical performance, foster collaboration, and drive continuous improvement
The Brief
Future Leadership™ was engaged by this large metropolitan health network in South Australia to appoint a Deputy Chief Executive Officer. This was a newly created senior executive role designed to elevate operational leadership and drive strategic transformation across the network which supports over 400,000 people with a workforce of 6,000 staff and a turnover of $1 billion. The DCEO reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and holds single-point accountability for the clinical performance of the health service, overseeing the day-to-day running of all clinical services and driving continuous improvement across clinical programmes. The role is pivotal in leading proactive service planning, effective corporate and clinical governance, and fostering high levels of clinical engagement to ensure consumer-centred and integrated care.
The appointment followed a strategic review of the executive structure, with the CEO resetting the operational model to elevate the former COO role to Deputy CEO, ensuring a clear operational strategic direction. The DCEO is tasked with lifting accountability and capability at the Divisional Director level, bringing together a matrix leadership group to work harmoniously and cement the organisation’s place as a fully-fledged tertiary site within the health ecosystem.
The health service sought a highly strategic, driven, and collaborative leader, with demonstrated experience inspiring and influencing large multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex strategic and operational outcomes. The role requires exceptional communication skills, the ability to build trusted relationships across the health landscape, and a proven track record in driving large-scale change management.
The Process
Future Leadership™ undertook a national executive search across Australia and New Zealand, supported by targeted online advertising on Seek, LinkedIn, and the Future Leadership website. The search focused on high-calibre candidates with significant experience in large health services or government, including prospective candidates from similar services in other states and territories, as well as internal candidates.
- Briefing and Strategy Development: A detailed client briefing was held with the CEO and Executive Director People and Culture, aligning on the strategic context, expectations, and capability framework for the role.
- Candidate Attraction: Proactive outreach targeted candidates with executive experience in clinical performance, strategic planning, and transformational leadership. Advertising was placed on major platforms to support the search and engage a broader audience.
- Assessment and Shortlisting: Candidates were assessed against the Future Leadership Capability Framework, focusing on Strategy & Purpose, Emotional Awareness, Communication & Influence, Stakeholder Relations, Organisational Capability, and Systems Thinking. Internal candidates were interviewed and assessed against the selection criteria, with only those recommended proceeding to the Selection Committee.
- Panel Interviews and Referencing: Shortlisted candidates underwent behavioural interviews, capability assessments, and panel interviews with the selection committee. Comprehensive referencing and candidate care protocols were applied throughout the process.
The search process was designed to ensure cultural alignment, strategic capability, and readiness to lead through complexity and reform. Future Leadership™ provided ongoing support with candidate management, scheduling, documentation, and stakeholder engagement.
Future Leadership Capability Framework
Strategy and Purpose
Develops and leads strategy for the function/organisation, taking a broad and long-term perspective. Understands and considers context.
Communicates and gains buy-in to the function/organisation goals, direction and vision, promoting change initiative
Emotional Awareness
Understands own emotions and drivers and how they impact self and others. Manages self in challenging or high stress situations. Adjusts behaviour to respond to difference in others to achieve effective outcomes.
Communication and Influence
Articulates messages with clarity and impact to build understanding, inspire action, persuade others and enable information exchange.
Considers the audience and draws on different styles to create impact.
Organisational Capability
Understands the organisation's future requirements and identifies opportunities to build potential across the organisation. Seeks opportunities to develop other people and takes appropriate action to address skill gaps in others.
Stakeholder Relations
Establishes rapport with stakeholders, builds and sustains trusted and collaborative relationships.
Identifies and draws on relevant and diverse perspectives and integrates them to support productive interactions.
Systems Thinking
Views situations in their entirety, understanding all the parts at play. Identifies the interconnected factors and how they influence each other, impacting the whole system. Takes a strategic perspective.
The Outcome
The appointee is an accomplished executive leader in the public health sector. With a background in accounting and a CPA qualification, they bring extensive expertise in operational strategy, financial management, and multidisciplinary team leadership. Their experience spans oversight of clinical and operational performance, driving service improvements, and leading large-scale projects. The candidate demonstrated strong skills in stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and performance accountability, including the development of real-time reporting systems and the successful negotiation of procurement contracts. The appointee demonstrated throughout the process:
- Proven leadership in complex health service environments
- High emotional intelligence and resilience under pressure
- Strategic capability to drive reform and operational redesign
- Strong alignment with the health service’s values and cultural aspirations
The new DCEO is expected to accelerate strategic reform, enhance system-wide performance, and foster a high-performing, inclusive culture across the network.
