Delivering an Executive Search to support the vision of a healthier community and champion opportunities for innovation and collaboration
The Brief
Future Leadership™ was engaged by a state and territory government health directorate to appoint a Deputy Director-General Health at a time of significant system pressure and reform. The appointment was critical to strengthening executive capacity across policy, governance and system integration, while sustaining momentum following the COVID‑19 response.
The role required a senior executive with deep health system experience, strong systems thinking and the capacity to operate effectively within a complex public sector environment. Key accountabilities included providing strategic and policy leadership to support the Director-General, progressing whole‑of‑system priorities relating to access, accountability and sustainability, and strengthening collaboration across government, service providers and the community. The position also carried responsibility for budget leadership, legislative coordination, integrated care, data and analytics uplift, and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders.
Operating within a smaller jurisdiction, the role offered breadth and influence, requiring an executive able to move seamlessly between strategic policy, operational oversight and stakeholder leadership. The directorate sought a values‑led leader with a coaching approach, political acumen and the ability to build trust across a highly visible and scrutinised 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 complexity and visibility of the role and the requirements of public sector governance.
Key steps included:
- Briefing and strategy development, engaging closely with the Director-General and senior executives to clarify role priorities, success measures and the leadership profile required to deliver system outcomes.
- National and international search, conducted across Australia and New Zealand and supported by targeted advertising through government and executive channels, alongside direct market mapping and outreach through established health leadership networks.
- Candidate assessment, with all internal and external candidates assessed rigorously against the position description and executive capability framework, including structured interviews focused on systems leadership, stakeholder engagement and delivery in complex environments.
- Shortlisting and calibration, providing candidate profiles to the Director-General throughout the process to enable early alignment and informed decision‑making.
- Final evaluation and appointment, including panel interviews, probity checks, referee consultation and executive contract negotiation in line with public sector requirements. A full selection report was provided to support ministerial decision making.
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.
Systems Thinking
Views situations in their entirety, understanding all the parts at play. Identifies the interconnected factors and how they influence each other, impacting the whole system. Takes a strategic perspectives
Culture and Engagement
Fosters a positive culture, creating a sense of belonging and inclusiveness. Creates an environment that encourages diverse perspectives and facilitates a psychologically safe environment.
The Outcome
The search resulted in the appointment of a highly experienced health system executive with more than two decades of leadership across Australian and international health jurisdictions. The successful appointee brought deep expertise in quality, safety and system improvement, having held senior executive roles within state government health agencies and large, complex health systems.
The appointed executive demonstrated a strong track record in leading large multidisciplinary teams, designing and delivering system‑wide reform programs, and working effectively at the intersection of policy, operations and politics. Their experience included stewardship of major budgets, oversight of complex improvement initiatives, and the ability to translate strategy into measurable outcomes for communities.
Since appointment, the Deputy Director-General has strengthened strategic coherence across the directorate, supported values‑led leadership at the executive level, and contributed to improved collaboration with health services and external partners. The appointment has enhanced the organisation’s capacity to respond to current and emerging health priorities while maintaining a clear focus on safety, sustainability and community outcomes.
