Delivering an Executive Search to establish an inaugural Chair and multi-member Advisory Board for a Victorian Government skills and training entity
The Brief
Future Leadership was engaged by a Victorian Government education and training department to lead the establishment of an inaugural skills authority advisory board, comprising one Chair and twelve Board Members. The board was designed to bring expertise from across industry sectors and education providers, with appointees expected to understand the economic, social and community drivers for vocational education and training and to provide independent advice on long-term strategy, system quality and equity and workforce priorities.
The engagement required a structured, project-managed approach, including a deliberate focus on identifying and encouraging a diverse range of candidates, with final appointments subject to ministerial approval.
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.
Reference: Harvard Business Review, "The Impact of Leadership Development on Employee Engagement" (2017)
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.
Reference: Deloitte, "Global Human Capital Trends" (2019)
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!
Reference: Korn Ferry, "The Real ROI of Leadership Development" (2018)
The Process
Future Leadership undertook a comprehensive executive search and assessment process aligned to the published role brief and appointment requirements, ensuring the recruitment panel could consider merit and diversity alongside relevant checks.
- Role and selection framework alignment
Consolidated the published selection criteria for members and the additional requirements for the Chair, including sector credibility, senior leadership experience and strong communication capability. - Targeted attraction campaign
Supported a multi-channel campaign via the Get on Board website, the search firm website and LinkedIn, with print placement prepared for The Age and The Australian. - High-volume application management
Managed and assessed a large candidate field, with over 200 applications received, screened against the key selection criteria and the expectation that members contribute as individuals rather than as representatives of organisations. - Shortlisting and assessment
Supported panel shortlisting and interviews, with assessment activity designed to test working knowledge across the intersection of industry and VET, workforce planning, stakeholder relationships, strategy and policy capability, ability to identify emerging issues, collaborative mindset and lived experience of the VET sector. - Documentation for decision-making
Prepared comprehensive assessment documentation and reporting to support selection recommendations and the approvals pathway for final appointments. - Appointment and commencement settings
Reflected the published appointment settings, including an expected commencement in October 2021 and a term not exceeding three years, for up to two terms.
The Outcome
The search resulted in the approval of an inaugural Chair and twelve Advisory Board Members, establishing a multi-disciplinary board with breadth across vocational education leadership, industry and employer perspectives, workforce planning, community and equity insight, governance capability, and policy reform experience.
A senior VET and dual-sector education executive was appointed as Chair, bringing extensive experience in vocational education strategy, sector reform engagement and governance leadership, including prior involvement in policy and review activity relevant to the creation of the authority.
The twelve Board Members reflected a deliberate spread of capability and lived experience consistent with the published criteria, including:
- Community and social policy governance leader
Executive leadership across social policy and community outcomes, with board and committee involvement spanning public purpose institutions and cross-government advisory work. - Senior transport, logistics, and major enterprise governance specialist
Deep experience across public and private sector leadership, major projects, procurement and infrastructure and extensive board leadership including audit and risk oversight. - Industrial and advanced manufacturing executive and company director
Executive leadership within a global industrial enterprise, with non-executive board roles and strong perspective on future skills needs, transformation and Industry 4.0 impacts. - Aboriginal education and community sector policy leader
Senior program and policy leadership within a Victorian Aboriginal community-controlled peak body, with strong networks, cultural capability and education and employment policy expertise. - Health workforce and union sector executive
Long-standing leadership in workforce advocacy and planning, large membership-based governance and experience in system-wide capability and professional standards. - Regional vocational education provider chief executive
Significant leadership in vocational education delivery in rural and regional contexts, with practical employer engagement, workforce development partnerships and innovation in training delivery models. - University education leader with employability and sustainability focus
Senior faculty leadership spanning graduate education, course governance, interfaculty program design and industry-linked education innovation aligned to emerging workforce needs. - Finance, systems, and digital transformation executive
Senior finance leadership across complex organisations, with strength in governance reporting, systems integration, operational performance and apprenticeship support ecosystem experience. - VET system reform and adult learning governance leader
Deep leadership across post-secondary education and skills planning, including governance roles supporting system reform, participation, equity and quality outcomes. - Construction industry and training governance executive
Executive leadership at industry level with oversight of an accredited training organisation and demonstrated contribution to workforce development consultation and policy input. - TAFE education, quality, and industrial leadership specialist
Extensive VET teaching and leadership experience, including curriculum design, compliance, capability uplift and sector advocacy through an elected leadership role. - Workforce and stakeholder engagement leader from the employee and training ecosystem
Senior leadership in a peak workforce body, with experience across stakeholder coalitions, policy advocacy, governance responsibilities and skills and training initiatives.
