Appointing an Interim Director of Governance to Lead Risk and Compliance Strategy in a Leading Independent School
The Brief
Future Leadership™ was engaged by a leading independent boys’ school in Melbourne to urgently appoint an Interim Director of Governance while a permanent search was underway.
The school required a governance and risk specialist to work closely with the Principal during this transitional phase. The interim role focused on developing governance strategies, policies, and procedures, and embedding a robust risk and compliance framework across the school and its community.
Increase in General Management Skills
According to the American Management Association, only 14% of businesses consider themselves “well prepared” to handle a sudden loss in senior management. Add to that the fact that it takes at least four months to fill an executive role, and an Interim Executive experienced in operations makes a lot of sense!
Increase in Customer Experience Skills
These days experience is everything. What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And human touch. Our Interim Executives deliver a great experience while improving your customer experience!
Increase in People & Culture Skills
Organisations are constantly changing as they respond to internal and external pressures. Continual process improvement can enable team engagement and lead to growth. Interim Executives bring fresh eyes and effective industry best practice to the execution.
Increase in Data Analytics
Complex challenges require critical thinking and in the age of information-overwhelm it is imperative to have analytical minds at the table. These skills range across finance, data science, systems and more. An Interim Executive can be the right person to optimise your inputs to maximise your output.
The Process
With a pressing timeline, Future Leadership™ activated its extensive network of governance and risk specialists. Key steps included:
- Targeted Search and Suitability Assessment: Leveraging an established pool of experienced interim candidates with expertise in governance, risk, and compliance.
- Rapid Shortlisting: Identifying several qualified candidates and conducting a suitability assessment based on availability, expertise, and alignment with the school’s immediate needs.
The successful Interim Director of Governance, an experienced professional who had just concluded a prior role, was selected for their deep knowledge of governance, legislative compliance, and safety regulations. Their availability allowed them to step into the role immediately, ensuring continuity and stability.
Emerging Capabilities
Governance and Compliance
Establishes, champions and measures the effectiveness of an organisation’s regulatory and reporting systems. Identifies and evaluates risks, 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.
Strategy and Purpose
Develops and leads strategy for the function/organisation, taking a broad and long-term perspective. Understands and considers context. Communicates and gains buy-in to the function/organisation goals, direction and vision, promoting change initiatives.
Critical Thinking
Gathers and examines different data points, testing for assumptions and gaps in logic; reframes problems and presents well-reasoned insights considering diverse perspectives. Analyses, interprets and objectively evaluates information enabling judgements.
Communication and Influence
Articulates messages with clarity and impact to build understanding, inspire action, persuade others and enable information exchange. Considers the audience and draws on different styles to create impact.
The Outcome
The appointed Interim Director of Governance worked closely with the Principal and the senior executive team to address the school’s immediate needs. Key contributions included:
- Governance Strategy Development: Providing experienced advice on governance strategies, policies, and compliance frameworks.
- Embedding a Risk Culture: Establishing a proactive approach to risk management and compliance, fostering a culture of accountability within the school community.
- Support During Change: Delivering stability and expert guidance during a critical period of transition.
Feedback from the school highlighted the Interim Director’s immediate and positive impact, reinforcing Future Leadership™’s expertise in matching interim talent to critical governance roles.
