Conducting an executive search for the appointment of a Chief of Staff to navigate a complex and dynamic healthcare environment
The Brief
Future Leadership was engaged by a leading health network in South Australia to appoint a Chief of Staff, a newly created executive role designed to strengthen governance, enhance strategic delivery and support the Chief Executive in advancing organisational priorities.
This appointment was critical during a period of significant transformation for the organisation. The health network had recently undergone a strategic refresh and structural realignment to support the delivery of a significant new facility build over the next seven years. The Chief of Staff role was conceived to provide strategic advice, governance oversight, and executive support, ensuring alignment with key policies and priorities.
The organisation sought a leader who could navigate a complex and dynamic healthcare environment, manage sensitive issues, and foster collaboration across internal divisions and external stakeholders. The role required exceptional capability in governance, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communication to maintain public trust and deliver improved health outcomes for women, children, and young people across South Australia
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 national executive search process, tailored to the organisation’s strategic needs and cultural aspirations.
Key steps included:
- Briefing and Strategy Development
Conducted an in-depth briefing with the Chief Executive and HR leadership to understand organisational priorities, governance requirements, and cultural objectives. This included clarifying the role’s scope, key challenges, and success measures. - Search Strategy and Market Mapping
Developed a targeted search strategy focused on identifying high-calibre candidates with experience in healthcare governance and executive advisory roles. The search extended nationally across Australia and New Zealand, leveraging Future Leadership’s proprietary networks, referral partners, and in-house research capabilities. - Advertising and Candidate Engagement
Designed and placed a tailored advertisement across Seek, LinkedIn, and the Future Leadership™ website to attract candidates aligned with the organisation’s mission and values. The advertisement highlighted the strategic nature of the role and its impact on public health outcomes. - Candidate Assessment and Shortlisting
Shortlisted candidates underwent rigorous evaluation against the Future Leadership Capability Framework, assessing competencies such as governance and compliance, communication and influence, stakeholder relations, and adaptability. This process included competency-based interviews and reference checks to ensure alignment with organisational needs. - Final Evaluation and Appointment
Recommended candidates demonstrated strategic acumen, resilience, and the ability to influence at the highest levels. The successful candidate was appointed following a structured evaluation process, ensuring readiness to deliver on the organisation’s strategic objectives and governance priorities.
Emerging Capabilities
Governance & 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.
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.
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.
Critical Thinking
Examines information for assumptions and gaps in logic; reframes problems and presents well-reasoned insights accommodating diverse perspectives. Persistent in asking insightful questions, enabling complex strategic judgements to be made across multiple dimensions.
Adaptability and Resilience
Demonstrating positivity, curiosity, resilience and the ability to pivot when confronted with change, pressure, adversity and disruption. Anticipates and enhances organisation’s capacity to respond quickly to strategic environmental, social and corporate challenges and opportunities.
The Outcome
The executive search concluded with the appointment of an experienced leader who brought a distinctive blend of legal, governance, and strategic expertise. With a career spanning senior advisory roles in complex public sector environments, the appointee has demonstrated the ability to navigate sensitive issues, influence at the highest levels, and deliver outcomes aligned with organisational priorities.
The background of the successful candidate included extensive experience in governance and compliance, risk management, and policy development, complemented by a strong track record in stakeholder engagement across government and health sectors. Known for a purposeful and values-driven leadership style, they have successfully led multidisciplinary teams, managed significant budgets, and implemented systemic improvements in challenging contexts.
This appointment has strengthened the organisation’s governance frameworks, enhanced strategic alignment, and positioned the executive team to deliver improved outcomes for the organisation’s stakeholders.
