Delivering an Executive Search to Strengthen Governance and CEO Oversight for a Victorian Local Government
The Brief
Future Leadership was engaged by a local government in Victoria to appoint an Independent Chairperson to its CEO Employment Matters Committee. The appointment was critical to ensuring robust governance, transparent performance oversight, and strategic remuneration advice in accordance with the Local Government Act 2020.
The Council required a highly experienced professional with deep expertise in executive employment, public sector governance, and stakeholder engagement. The role demanded impartiality, strategic insight, and the ability to guide complex discussions across elected officials and senior leaders.
The Process
Future Leadership™ undertook a comprehensive search process tailored to the Council’s governance and legislative requirements.
Key steps included:
- Briefing and Strategy Development: The Future Leadership team represented by David Baber engaged with Councillors and senior officers to understand the strategic priorities of the Committee and the legislative framework.
- Targeted Candidate Search: Leveraged Future Leadership’s public sector networks and targeted advertising to attract candidates with governance, HR, and legal expertise.
- Candidate Assessment: Shortlisted candidates were evaluated against 11 key selection criteria including HR leadership, governance experience, emotional intelligence, and public sector knowledge.
- Final Evaluation: Final candidates attended panel interviews with the selection committee, demonstrating their capacity to chair meetings, provide independent advice and interpret employment policy.
The Outcome
The executive search resulted in the appointment of a seasoned governance and HR executive as Independent Chairperson. The successful candidate brought over 25 years of experience across legal, human resources, and executive leadership roles in both public and private sectors.
Their appointment has enabled the Council to strengthen its CEO performance oversight, remuneration benchmarking, and succession planning processes. The Chairperson now leads biannual Committee meetings, drafts strategic reports, and provides independent advice aligned with the CEO Employment and Remuneration Policy.
