Executive Search for a Chief Operations Officer in the Community Health Sector to drive a client centric culture and ensure service requirements are met.
The Brief
Future Leadership™ was engaged by a large community health provider operating across Melbourne’s northern growth corridor to appoint a newly created Chief Operations Officer. The organisation had undergone a period of significant transformation and growth, driven by a dynamic leadership team and expanding demand for integrated, person centred care. As the organisation prepared for its next phase of development, the new role was established to strengthen strategic capacity, enhance operational oversight and ensure services remained high quality, culturally appropriate, innovative and sustainable.
The community health provider delivered an extensive range of services including medical, dental, early childhood and youth programs, disability, mental health and community support services. With substantial growth in service breadth, population reach and staffing, the organisation required an experienced executive capable of leading four major service directorates, representing the organisation externally and supporting the CEO in driving continued transformation.
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!
Future Leadership™ undertook a comprehensive national search designed to identify experienced executives with strong operational capability, strategic insight and a demonstrable commitment to community health outcomes.
Key steps included:
- Briefing and Strategy Development
Future Leadership engaged with senior stakeholders to understand organisational aspirations and the strategic purpose behind establishing the new Chief Operations Officer role. The briefing identified the need for a leader with high intellectual capacity, strong commercial acumen, experience in health or community services, and the ability to advance a client centric culture. - Targeted Candidate Search
An in‑depth search was conducted across Australian and New Zealand community health providers, public and private hospitals, not for profit organisations and adjacent service sectors. The process combined extensive networks, research mapping and an advertising campaign emphasising innovation, quality service delivery and organisational growth. - Candidate Assessment
Candidates were assessed for leadership capability, operational expertise, strategic capacity and alignment with the organisation’s values. The assessment evaluated experience managing multidisciplinary service portfolios, building high performing teams, navigating government funding models and leading transformative change. - Final Evaluation and Appointment
The Future Leadership team coordinated panel interviews, full assessment reporting and reference checks. Recommended candidates demonstrated strong stakeholder engagement skills, knowledge of clinical and corporate governance requirements, and a track record of achieving organisational goals through disciplined planning and prioritisation. 360 degree reference checking was completed prior to the confirmation of the successful appointee.
Future Leadership Capability Framework
Stakeholder Relations
Builds and sustains trusted relationships across internal and external stakeholders, drawing on diverse perspectives to support productive collaboration. Establishes rapport, inspires commitment and advances long term partnerships.
Commercial Acumen
Applies deep understanding of industry and business drivers to evaluate performance, manage trade offs and generate insights that strengthen organisational sustainability. Uses financial literacy and analysis to inform sound decisions.
Culture and Engagement
Fosters an inclusive, values aligned environment where people feel a sense of belonging and psychological safety. Sets and reinforces culture, promotes diversity of thought and builds engagement across the organisation.
Organisational Capability
Understands future workforce requirements and identifies opportunities to build capability across the organisation. Develops others through coaching, identifying potential, and supporting skill growth to ensure future readiness.
Technology Literacy
Adopts a digital mindset whereby technology becomes second nature as an enabler of human nature. Actively builds awareness of technology innovation and mitigates risk of bias, harm, or exclusion. Leverages technology innately to drive innovation, performance, productivity, and efficiency.
The Outcome
The search resulted in the appointment of an experienced health and community services executive with a strong background in leading complex service portfolios and driving organisational transformation. The appointee brought more than a decade of executive leadership experience across community health, government and consultancy environments, and had previously overseen large multidisciplinary directorates including medical, dental, allied health, disability, mental health and family services.
During the interview process the successful candidate demonstrated extensive expertise in change leadership, having played a pivotal role in the merger of three community health organisations and in establishing cohesive clinical governance, quality and risk systems. Their background included significant achievements in performance improvement, financial sustainability, and the introduction of new service and revenue models, including fee‑for‑service, compensable funding and innovative integrated care models. Additionally, the appointee demonstrated strong commercial acumen, a deep understanding of shifting health funding environments, and proven capacity to redesign services to improve outcomes for clients.
With highly developed stakeholder relationship skills, the appointee brought to the organisation a history of building collaborative partnerships across government, primary health, mental health, community organisations, peak bodies and diverse community groups. Their leadership approach was grounded in developing high performing teams, supporting staff through change, and fostering positive, client‑centred cultures. This appointment strengthened the organisation’s strategic capacity and positioned it for continued growth, innovation and excellence in delivering integrated, person‑centred care to its communities.
