Seven things that shape an Australian executive appointment
Each one changes the offer, the timeline or the realistic candidate set.
The package includes superannuation
Australian roles are commonly advertised as a total package including the employer superannuation guarantee, which rose in annual steps to reach 12 per cent of ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2025. An offer that does not state whether it is base, base plus super or package inclusive of super is not comparable with the candidate’s current position.
Directors need an identification number
Every director of an Australian company must hold a director identification number issued through the Australian Business Registry Services. For a board appointment it is a prerequisite, and for an incoming overseas director the application adds time.
Restraints are enforceable, and actively litigated
Australian restraint of trade clauses are enforceable where reasonable, and are litigated more frequently than in many markets, particularly in financial services and professional services. Cascading restraint drafting is common, which makes the effective period genuinely uncertain until it is tested.
Separately, the Commonwealth has announced an intention to limit non-compete clauses for workers below a high-income threshold. Because the position is evolving, confirm the current state of the law with Australian counsel.
Regulated appointments are assessed
In APRA-regulated entities, responsible persons must be fit and proper under the prudential standard, and the institution must assess them before appointment. It is a scheduled stage, not a formality.
Three time zones inside one organisation
Perth sits two to three hours behind the eastern seaboard depending on the season. For a national leadership role that is an operating constraint, and it is a genuine factor in whether a Perth-based executive will take a Sydney-reporting role or the reverse.
Governance expectations are codified and disclosed
Listed companies report against the ASX Corporate Governance Principles on an if-not-why-not basis, including board composition, diversity and succession planning. A board search produces a disclosure obligation as well as an appointment.
Canberra and Adelaide run on clearance, not salary
In federal government, defence, national security and parts of space and advanced manufacturing, security clearance rather than compensation is the binding constraint on who can take a role. A search that ignores it will not deliver.
The australian search process, week by week
Seven stages. Nothing begins until the brief and success profile are written down.
| Stage | What happens | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 0–1 | Scoping and success profile | Brief, written success profile, capital-city scope agreed, package positioned on a stated basis — base, base plus super, or total package |
| Weeks 1–3 | Market mapping | The qualified population identified state by state, with restraint position, clearance status where relevant and genuine relocation willingness recorded |
| Weeks 3–5 | Discreet approach | Named approaches across the relevant capitals, with notice and restraint terms established |
| Weeks 5–7 | Longlist to shortlist | Structured interviews, written assessments, shortlist with reasons for every exclusion |
| Weeks 7–10 | Client and board process | Interviews managed across three time zones, board or nomination committee process where applicable |
| Weeks 10–12 | Referencing and offer | Referencing, offer built on a stated package basis, restraint and notice negotiated, acceptance |
| Weeks 12–24 | Notice, director ID and start | Four weeks to six months’ notice depending on level; director identification and APRA fit-and-proper assessment where applicable; relocation where intercity |
Two dates matter, and we quote them separately. Time to offer is what a search firm controls. Time to start depends on notice, garden leave, regulatory approval and relocation — and in several of our markets it is the longer of the two by a wide margin. A plan built on the first date alone will slip.
Roles and levels we search for
Where the qualified population is small and not actively looking, search is the right instrument. Where it is deep and available, it is not — and we will say so.
| Level | Typical roles | What the search turns on |
|---|---|---|
| Board and non-executive | Chair, non-executive director, senior independent director, audit and remuneration committee chairs | Governance process, documented search, composition requirements and committee calendar |
| Chief executive | CEO, managing director, country head, general manager | Confidentiality, succession context and the business case the appointee is being hired to deliver |
| Chief financial officer | CFO, finance director, group financial controller | Listed or private experience, transaction background and regulatory exposure |
| Technology and digital | CTO, CIO, CPO, CISO, chief data or AI officer | Depth of hands-on capability versus governance experience, and which one the role actually needs |
| Commercial and operations | CCO, COO, chief revenue officer, supply chain director | Sector adjacency, scale of operation and route-to-market fit |
| People and risk | CHRO, chief people officer, chief risk officer, general counsel | Regulatory exposure, works council or employee representative experience where relevant |
| Senior specialist | Head of function, principal, technical fellow, regulated specialist | A scarce capability where the qualified population is small and not looking |
Governance and regulation
The machinery around a australian appointment, and where it sits in the timeline.
| Area | Framework | What it means for a search |
|---|---|---|
| Company law | Corporations Act 2001, administered by ASIC | Director duties, appointment and disclosure obligations |
| Director identification | Australian Business Registry Services | Every company director must hold a director ID; overseas applicants need lead time |
| Governance code | ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations | Listed companies report on board composition, diversity and succession on an if-not-why-not basis |
| Employment framework | Fair Work Act 2009 and the National Employment Standards | Notice, termination and modern award coverage where applicable |
| Regulated appointments | APRA prudential standard on fit and proper | Responsible persons in regulated entities must be assessed before appointment |
| Superannuation | Superannuation guarantee, administered by the ATO | 12% of ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2025; confirm the current rate before quoting |
We are a research firm, not a law firm. The purpose of this table is to make sure the right questions are asked early and the right specialists are engaged, not to give legal advice. Every one of these frameworks changes periodically — confirm the current position with your own counsel before an appointment date is fixed.
Sectors we search in Australia
Deepest where the qualified population is smallest.
- Mining, resources and energy — operations, engineering and project leadership, including FIFO-rostered roles.
- Financial services — banking, superannuation funds, insurance and asset management, including APRA-assessed responsible persons.
- Healthcare and life sciences — provider, pharma and medtech leadership.
- Technology and digital — platform, cloud and cyber security leadership across Sydney and Melbourne.
- Defence, space and national security — including cleared appointments in Canberra and Adelaide.
- Infrastructure and construction — major project and commercial leadership.
- Agribusiness and food — production, supply chain and export leadership.
Confidentiality and ethics
In senior markets this decides whether a search succeeds, and whose reputation carries the cost if it does not.
The client is not named until engagement
We approach the market describing the opportunity, not the employer, until a candidate is genuinely interested and an NDA is in place where appropriate. The disclosure point is agreed in writing before the first call.
No pretext, ever
We do not misrepresent who we are or who we are working for in order to obtain information, and we do not solicit confidential information from current or former employees. A firm willing to do that for you will do it about you.
Off-limits agreed up front
Which organisations are off-limits, and for how long, is written into the scope. So is what happens if a candidate approaches us independently during the search.
Candidate data handled to one standard
Professional information only, sourced per field, transferred securely, and no special-category data compiled against named individuals. See the methodology for the full standard.
Declines are reported, with reasons
Who declined and why is as useful as who accepted. It is the clearest evidence you will get about how the role, the package and the employer brand are actually perceived.
The market map stays with you
Not with us. We do not recycle a client’s search into another client’s shortlist, and we do not resell research.
Search, mapping and contingency recruitment
Three different instruments. The expensive mistake is using the wrong one.
| Executive search (this) | Talent mapping | Contingency recruitment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts from | A defined appointment | A role or population to understand | A live vacancy |
| Covers | The whole qualified population, approached | The whole qualified population, profiled but not approached | Whoever the recruiter can reach quickly |
| Best when | The right people are not looking | You need to decide before you commit | The market is deep and candidates are available |
| Output | An appointment, plus the full search report | A named population and analysis | A shortlist of available candidates |
| Our fee model | Fixed project fee | Fixed project fee | We do not work on contingency |
| Market fee model | 25–33% of first-year package, retained | Project fee | 15–25% on placement |
| Who owns the research | You | You | The agency |
| Confidentiality | High — client unnamed until engagement | High — no approach made at all | Low by construction |
The honest guidance: if the role is one where good people are actively looking and several agencies already have them on file, contingency recruitment is cheaper and faster, and we will tell you so. Search earns its fee where the qualified population is small, not looking, and reachable only through a researched and credible approach.
Many clients buy a Australia talent map first, use it to decide whether to open the role at all, and convert into a search only if the answer is yes. The map is not wasted either way — it becomes the search’s first stage.
What executive search costs in Australia
Fixed project fees, scoped on the search rather than on the salary.
| Engagement | What it covers | Typical fee | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior or specialist appointment | One senior or specialist role, one capital city | A$18,000–A$42,000 | 10–14 weeks to offer |
| Board or C-suite appointment | CEO, CFO, CTO or non-executive director, with a full national market map | A$42,000–A$85,000 | 12–18 weeks to appointment |
| Leadership team build | Three to five linked appointments across states | A$85,000–A$180,000 | 4–8 months |
A retained Australian search is normally 25 to 33 per cent of first-year total remuneration, so a A$450,000 appointment carries a fee of roughly A$112,000 to A$148,000 for one hire. Our fee is for the work the search takes. Our out-of-hours desk means Australian searches are worked while your office is closed, so progress arrives at the start of your day.
Our fee is for the work the search takes, agreed in writing before it starts. It does not move with the appointee’s package, and there is no success fee. That is what allows a search to conclude that the role should be restructured, the package re-priced, or an internal candidate appointed. The fee comparison calculator runs it against a percentage model on your own numbers.
What you receive
The appointment is the outcome. The search report is the asset.
- The appointment — managed through offer, acceptance, notice and start, not handed over at signature.
- The market definition — the written scope every figure and judgement in the search rests on.
- The complete market map — the full qualified population, not only the people who responded. This is the asset most search firms keep.
- Approach and response record — who was approached, who engaged, who declined and the reason each gave.
- Written assessments — every shortlisted candidate against the agreed success profile, with the reasons for each exclusion.
- Compensation evidence — what the market pays on a stated and normalised basis, which is what makes an offer defensible internally.
- Referencing — structured, including regulatory references where the market requires them.
- Permanent ownership — all of the above is yours. Most clients reuse the map within a year for the next appointment or for succession planning.
Australian executive search FAQs
What is executive search in Australia?
Executive search in Australia is a managed, research-led process for appointing senior leaders across the capital-city markets: defining the role and the market, mapping the qualified population state by state, approaching discreetly, and running an appointment process that accounts for director identification requirements, restraint of trade clauses, regulator fit-and-proper assessment and packages quoted inclusive of superannuation.
How much does executive search cost in Australia?
A senior or specialist appointment typically costs A$18,000 to A$42,000. A board or C-suite appointment typically costs A$42,000 to A$85,000. A leadership team build of three to five roles typically costs A$85,000 to A$180,000.
A retained Australian search is normally 25 to 33 per cent of first-year total remuneration, so a A$450,000 appointment would carry a fee of roughly A$112,000 to A$148,000 for a single hire.
How long does an Australian executive search take?
Ten to fourteen weeks from brief to offer for a senior appointment, and twelve to eighteen weeks for a board or C-suite role.
Start dates depend on notice, which ranges from four weeks to six months by level, plus director identification for board roles and APRA fit-and-proper assessment in regulated entities. Intercity relocation adds further time.
Does an offer include superannuation?
It needs to say either way, because Australian roles are quoted inconsistently. The employer superannuation guarantee rose in annual steps to reach 12 per cent of ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2025.
We state whether a figure is base, base plus super or total package, model super at the prevailing rate and date it, so an offer can be rebuilt on whichever convention the candidate’s current employer uses.
Are Australian restraint of trade clauses enforceable?
They are enforceable where reasonable, and they are litigated more frequently than in many markets, particularly in financial and professional services. Cascading drafting is common, which leaves the effective period genuinely uncertain until it is tested.
The Commonwealth has also announced an intention to limit non-compete clauses for workers below a high-income threshold. Because the position is evolving, we identify restraints during research and recommend confirming the current law with Australian counsel before relying on it.
What is a director ID and when does it matter?
Every director of an Australian company must hold a director identification number issued through the Australian Business Registry Services. It is a prerequisite for a board appointment.
For an incoming overseas director the application requires identity verification that takes time, so we raise it at offer stage rather than letting it delay a start date.
Do you run board and non-executive searches?
Yes. Listed company board appointments report against the ASX Corporate Governance Principles on an if-not-why-not basis, including board composition, diversity and succession planning.
We document the search to governance standard and provide the written record the board or nomination committee needs for its disclosure.
Why do you treat each capital city as a separate market?
Because they are. Perth runs on resources, Canberra on government and national security, Sydney on financial services and regional headquarters, Melbourne on a broader commercial and health base, and Adelaide on defence and advanced manufacturing.
They are also physically distant. Intercity relocation at executive level is a real constraint, so a national search that is really a Sydney search produces a shortlist that will not move. We report relocation willingness as evidenced, not assumed.
Can you search cleared populations in Canberra and Adelaide?
We can map and approach them, within the obvious limits. In federal government, defence, national security and parts of space and advanced manufacturing, security clearance rather than compensation is the binding constraint on who can take a role.
We report clearance as a supply variable where it is publicly evidenced, and we are explicit about what cannot be established from open sources rather than filling the gap with inference.
Do you work Australian hours?
Effectively, yes. Our out-of-hours desk means Australian searches are worked while your office is closed, so candidate progress and questions arrive at the start of your day. For Australian clients that usually compresses a search rather than extending it. See out-of-hours coverage.
Do you charge a percentage of salary?
No. We charge a fixed project fee based on the work the search requires. There is no percentage, no placement fee and no success fee, and the full national market map is yours.
What do we receive at the end?
The appointment, and the full search report: market definition, the complete state-by-state map of the qualified population, who was approached and who declined and why, assessments against the success profile, and the package evidence behind the offer.
Primary sources and how we check
- Director identification numberAustralian Business Registry Services
- Corporate Governance Principles and RecommendationsASX Corporate Governance Council
- Prudential Standard CPS 520 Fit and ProperAustralian Prudential Regulation Authority
- Superannuation guarantee for employersAustralian Taxation Office
- Directors' duties and responsibilitiesAustralian Securities and Investments Commission
- Notice of termination and redundancy payFair Work Ombudsman
- Labour statisticsAustralian Bureau of Statistics
Figures quoted on this page were checked against the sources above on 20 October 2026. Statutory rates, thresholds and quotas change: where a number drives a budget or a legal obligation, confirm it against the primary source before you rely on it.