Energetic and innovative leader with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build long-term relationships with stakeholders at all level
The Brief
A leading New South Wales independent girls’ school re-engaged Future Leadership to appoint a Chief of Advancement
Building on an established relationship, the client sought to partner with Future Leadership to assist in the search process to identify and appoint a Chief of Advancement to transform and lead its Advancement Team. Reporting directly to the Principal, this leadership position required the successful candidate to manage community relations, communications, enrolments, alumnae engagement, events, marketing, and archives. The position would be responsible for enhancing the school’s profile and influence while supporting their rich history and maintaining their strong academic standards. The Chief of Advancement’s responsibilities include developing and implementing marketing and communication strategies, overseeing the School’s brand, and leading all enrolment and alumni engagement efforts. Additionally, the candidate needed strong leadership capabilities to manage a diverse team while demonstrating a collaborative mindset. The role presented a unique opportunity to make a transformative impact on the school’s community, ensuring sustained growth and continued academic excellence.
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 briefing with the Principal.
Future Leadership, represented by Liam King, engaged in a comprehensive briefing with the school’s Principal to understand the precise needs of the school. Key requirements for the role included finding an energetic and innovative leader with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build long-term relationships with stakeholders at all levels. While a background in education was preferred, it was not essential. Future Leadership was tasked with finding a candidate who demonstrated strategic leadership capabilities, particularly in marketing and communications, as well as expertise in enrolment strategies and community engagement. An extensive online advertising campaign was initiated, supported by Future Leadership’s broad candidate and referral partner network. Psychometric testing was conducted for the shortlisted candidates, followed by panel interviews
Future Leadership Capabilities
Emotional Awareness
Demonstrates commitment, sensitivity and responsiveness to the emotional needs of
different cultures and people. Gathers and reviews the preferences of stakeholders to
understand their feelings towards the organisation. Guides and mediates the alignment of
the organisation’s culture and values with the external operating environment, society and
stakeholders.
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 Relationships
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.
Innovation and Creativity
Positively challenges the status quo, expected norms, and workplace paradigms. Contributes new ideas, solutions, and perspectives to current challenges and thinking practices enabling the creation of new products, solutions and opportunities.
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.
Initiative and Drive
Leads self by working independently, setting and attaining personal and work-related goals, and demonstrating motivation and responsibility for their own actions. Demonstrates awareness of personal strengths and improvement areas. Effectively relates to others in a professional manner.
The Outcome
The successful candidate was appointed and commenced in October 2024.
The appointee is passionate about education with over 18 years of experience gained within multiple positions at the school. Throughout this period, the candidate has built relationships with the whole community: students, staff, parents, alumni, strategic partners, the local community, and education communities at both the state and national levels.
With over 18 years of experience in both the USA and Australia, the appointee has a proven track record of working with alumni, parents, boards, and donors to promote organisational growth and sustainability.
