Delivering an Executive Search to appoint a Sector-Leading CEO for a for-purpose organisation.
The Brief
Future Leadership™ was engaged by a leading for-purpose organisation to appoint a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) aimed at driving strategic growth, sector leadership, and innovation in homelessness solutions.
The charity organisation and community housing provider, operates across multiple sites and supports thousands of people annually. With a long legacy and a mission to end homelessness, the organisation required a visionary leader to guide its next phase of growth, advocacy, and impact. The CEO role demanded a values-driven executive with deep sector knowledge, strategic foresight, and the ability to lead a complex, mission-led enterprise.
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
Future Leadership™ undertook a comprehensive search process tailored to the organisation’s needs.
Key steps included:
- Briefing and Strategy Development
Engaged with the Board and senior stakeholders to understand the strategic priorities, funding landscape, and leadership requirements.
- Targeted Candidate Search
Leveraged sector networks, advertising campaign, and referrals to identify candidates with proven leadership in housing and homelessness.
- Candidate Assessment
Shortlisted candidates underwent rigorous evaluation including written submissions against key selection criteria, interviews, and reference checks. Where seven candidates progressed to panel interviews.
- Final Evaluation
Final candidates presented strategic insights and leadership philosophies to the Board, demonstrating alignment with the organisation’s values of empowerment, adaptability, courage, and care.
Emerging Capabilities
Systems Thinking
Systematically breaks down siloes across the operating environment and connects stakeholders to harness convergent ideas. Understands the leverage points of systems change and demonstrates the ability to think beyond known systems.
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.
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.
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.
Communication and Influence
Communicates with clarity and impact to facilitate individual and collective understanding, inspire action and enable information exchange. Leverages human-centric communication and storytelling to effectively influence stakeholders across the physical and virtual realms.
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.
The Outcome
The process resulted in the appointment of a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in housing and homelessness across government and community sectors. Bringing deep operational and policy expertise, having led state-wide initiatives. Through their leadership experience, they demonstrated capacity to drive strategic growth, secure funding, and lead high-performing teams.
The appointment has enabled the organisation to consolidate its rapid growth, strengthen its advocacy voice, and pursue innovative housing solutions including early intervention programs and strategic partnerships.
