Conducting an Executive Search for a Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School to Lead Strategic and Operational Initiatives in a Leading Independent Girls’ School.
The Brief
Future Leadership™ partnered with a leading independent girls’ school to appoint a Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School after the school identified the need to expand its appointment process.
Reporting directly to, and deputising for, the Principal, the role required leadership in both strategic and day-to-day operational matters of the senior school. Key responsibilities included championing staff career development in collaboration with the Executive and managing parent inquiries regarding educational or pastoral matters.
The appointee was also envisioned as a potential successor to the Principal, requiring a credible and detail-minded individual capable of inspiring a highly capable team of educators.
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™ conducted a targeted national search process:
- Search and Advertising: Implemented a national advertising campaign and engaged directly with 85 known individuals to explore their interest or seek referrals.
- Internal Candidate Management: Included two internal candidates in the evaluation process to ensure a holistic approach.
- Candidate Assessment: Presented 11 candidates to the school with comprehensive assessment reports and background checks.
This process ensured a diverse and competitive candidate pool, with the successful appointee recommended through Future Leadership™’s network.
Emerging Capabilities
Strategy and Purpose
Develops and leads strategy for the function/organisation, taking a broad and long-term perspective. Communicates and gains buy-in to organisational goals and vision, promoting change initiatives.
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.
Governance and Compliance
Establishes, champions, and measures the effectiveness of an organisation’s regulatory and reporting systems. Identifies and evaluates risks and develops strategies to mitigate risk.
Stakeholder Relations
Establishes rapport with stakeholders, builds and sustains trusted and collaborative relationships. Identifies and draws on relevant and diverse perspectives and integrates them to support productive interactions.
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
An experienced leader with a strong connection to the school was appointed as Deputy Principal and Head of Senior School, commencing in January 2020.
- The appointee brought 24 years of experience in education, including 12 years as Head of Senior School at a prominent girls’ school.
- With 11 years of prior experience at the school, they were well-positioned to further contribute to its development as a school of choice for girls.
For our school, working with Future Leadership has been a very positive experience. Facilitating the appointment of a Deputy-Principal requires attention to a range of both professional and personal skill and attributes. We were impressed with the exhaustive search process and the dedication to ensuring that the ultimate appointment would be a seamless cultural fit for our school.
We are delighted with the appointment and we are benefiting from a wonderful addition to the Executive team at our school
They were encouraging and supportive, gave practical advice as to how to understand the role and clear instructions. Each person made me feel my application mattered to them and that they wanted to work with me to present myself in the best possible light.
As results came through from each stage of the process, the feedback was very prompt and insightful. Support onsite for my presentation was also thoughtful and attentive. This meant I was able to focus on what I was saying and not be stressed about the technology. These small details made a huge difference to my ability to focus on engaging with the panel.
A special thanks to Liz Jones, for her encouragement and support. I feel like a have made a true friend. Thanks also to Kirsti Hitz-Morton, Larissa Langley and the ever-efficient Katherine Smith.
