Delivering an Executive Search to support system reform and strategic leadership for a metropolitan primary health organisation
The Brief
Future Leadership was engaged by a metropolitan Primary Health Network in Victoria to appoint a Chief Executive Officer at a time of significant system reform and emerging external volatility.
The organisation is primarily funded by the Australian Government and plays a critical role in improving access, integration and quality of primary health services across a large and diverse catchment. Working closely with health professionals, consumers and carers, the organisation uses health‑related data and commissioning to identify community needs and address gaps in the health system.
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 organisation’s strategic priorities and operating context, with particular attention to market conditions emerging during the early stages of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Key steps included:
Briefing and Strategy Development
Engaged closely with the Board to clarify the role’s strategic mandate, leadership expectations and capability requirements aligned to the new strategic plan.
Targeted Candidate Search
Leveraged national networks and recent market intelligence across health, human services and community sectors. The search attracted more than 70 applications from candidates with backgrounds spanning government, peak bodies, not‑for‑profit organisations and private health.
Candidate Assessment
Developed a long list of six highly qualified candidates. Assessment focused on leadership capability, sector insight, stakeholder engagement and values alignment.
Accelerated Search Execution
In response to heightened market uncertainty associated with COVID‑19, the search timetable was accelerated by approximately three weeks to maintain candidate engagement and secure high‑calibre talent without compromising process integrity.
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.
Governance and Compliance
Establishing, championing and measuring the effectiveness of an organisation’s regulatory and reporting systems.. Delivering value for diverse stakeholders through governance, strategy, risk management and appropriate targets and metrics.
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.
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.
The Outcome
The process resulted in the appointment of a highly experienced health sector executive who commenced in mid‑2020. The appointed CEO brought more than two decades of senior leadership experience across health, government‑funded programs and large, complex service organisations.
The successful candidate demonstrated a strong track record in strategic and operational leadership, governance, stakeholder management and system‑level reform. Previous experience included leading nationally significant health initiatives, managing large multidisciplinary workforces and operating at the interface of government, regulators and community stakeholders.
The appointment enabled the organisation to progress its strategic agenda, strengthen commissioning and partnership approaches and provide stable, values‑driven leadership during a period of significant sector disruption.