Insights

The Great Leadership Reset: What Australian Boards Are Really Buying in 2026 and Beyond

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:20:00 Z

Leadership Judgement and the Australian Board Agenda

Jamal Khan, Managing Partner, Amrop Carmichael Fisher

Over the last 18 months, I've had more conversations with Chairs, CEOs, investors and Board members about leadership risk than at any other point in my career.

Not leadership capability.

Leadership risk.

That's an important distinction.

Historically, Executive Search was largely viewed as a recruitment exercise. A CEO resigned, a Board approved a brief, candidates were assessed and an appointment was made.

Today, Boards are approaching executive appointments very differently.

Increasingly, the question is not simply who the best available candidate is. It is who is most likely to successfully execute strategy in an increasingly volatile environment.

The conversations have shifted from credentials towards judgement. From potential towards proven delivery. From ambition towards resilience.

In short, the leadership market has fundamentally changed.

How to Spot a Spoof: Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 07:16:00 Z

There's never been a more complex time to be a leader, or a more tempting time to be impersonated as one.

Across the recruitment industry, fraudsters are impersonating consultants, using stolen names, titles and photos to approach candidates and clients with fake job offers, false "services" and requests for money or personal data. Amrop is not immune. Neither is any firm you might work with.

The good news: these recruitment scams follow patterns, and once you know what to look for, they're easier to catch.

Personal Governance 2: Life Planning and Goals

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 03:00:00 Z

Just as a well-run organisation has a guiding Mission, so do managers with good Personal Governance. This ‘Life Plan’ is an ongoing project, far-reaching and carefully orchestrated. It serves as a common thread, a ‘leitmotiv’, to guide, motivate and inspire executives through uncertainty and change, success and opportunity. As a personal, core Mission, its translation into action needs regular monitoring.

With Fredy Hausammann, Amrop's Global Chair and Managing Partner at Amrop Switzerland.

9 Keys for Candidates Working With Executive Search Consultants

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 03:00:00 Z

In his pursuit of a new role, Patrick had dealt with five executive search firms and his experience had been less than positive. He had secured a meeting with two, and the other three had failed to respond to his emails or return his calls. He had been proactive and dynamic in staying in touch, he thought. Yet after three months’ chasing, nothing had transpired. Radio silence.

Is Your Technology Leadership Hire Set Up to Fail?

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:41:48 Z

Borja Vara | Spain

Here’s a classic case of responsibility without power: 71% of CEOs don’t think their IT operating models are fit for the age of AI. But only 24% of CIOs believe their models effectively adapt to business needs.¹

The disconnect between technical CXOs and their entourage signals the need for bigger bandwidth all round. Hiring organisations will increasingly need to seek CIOs and other technology leaders who combine technical expertise with business understanding and leadership skills. Boards and top management teams must better understand what success looks like.

The AI Imperative for C‑Suite Hiring

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:17:00 Z

Dorota Kolecka | Poland

No longer a niche technical concern, AI is also transforming what companies expect from senior executives, and how they hire them. As organisations adapt to an accelerated AI-driven transformation agenda, executive recruiters are seeing crucial patterns emerge, revealing new AI leadership requirements, evolving role definitions and growing expectations around governance, transformation and strategic vision.

Board and Executive Search Trends Shaping FY27 in Australia

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 12:20:00 Z

FY26 Retrospective and FY27 Strategic Outlook
Jamal Khan, Managing Partner, Amrop Carmichael Fisher

As Australian businesses reflect on FY26 performance and refine their strategies for FY27, the Board and executive talent landscape is at an important inflection point. The past year tested Australian leadership across regulatory rigour, technological transformation, economic fluctuation and changing talent mobility dynamics. Through our work supporting Boards and corporate leaders across sectors, Amrop Carmichael Fisher has seen first-hand how expectations of executive capability and Board composition are evolving.

This review looks at the key Board and executive search trends that shaped FY26 and the priorities likely to influence the FY27 leadership environment.

Going Deeper: 7 CIO Interview Questions

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:18:00 Z

Joseph Teperman | Paulo Aziz Nader | Amrop Brazil

We have spent more than 50 years, combined, working with technology companies. We started inside them, early in our careers. Then we moved to the other side of the table, as consultants, headhunters, mentors and advisors.

Even after all that time, one thing still stands out: most interviews for technology leadership roles remain shallow.

AI Governance: Why Boards Must Lead the Conversation

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:58:00 Z

Cinzia Donalisio | Italy

Every business publication has run its version of the AI story by now. The productivity gains. The generative breakthroughs. The regulatory scramble. What has had far less airtime is the question that actually belongs to Boards: not what can AI do, but who is accountable for what it does.

AI isn't a matter to leave with IT departments or data scientists. Increasingly, it's a matter of governance. And governance belongs in the boardroom.

Contextual AI Leadership: Structuring the Modern Org Chart

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:20:00 Z

As organisations move quickly to operationalise artificial intelligence, one of the most pressing questions for Boards and executive teams is: where should the AI function sit?

There is fierce debate over whether AI should report directly to the CEO, CIO or CTO. At Amrop, our advice to Boards is rooted in our Context Driven approach: there is no single correct AI organisational structure or reporting line. The optimal model depends on industry segment, organisational maturity and strategic horizon.

In this article, Amrop explains how AI organisational structure can evolve from CTO-led incubation to CAIO-led transformation and, ultimately, integration across the CIO and business units.

Jamal Khan, Managing Partner at Amrop Australia and a member of Amrop’s Global Digital Practice, shares his insights.

Leadership and the Brain: A User's Guide to Empathy

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 02:00:00 Z

Over the last few million years, we have developed such a large cortex (modern brain) in comparison to the deeper, older regions of the brain that we are less in touch with our instinct and with non-verbal signals than we once were. Most of this brain growth has been connected to the evolution of language and interpersonal capabilities such as empathy, co-operation and strategizing as a group.

As cave dwellers, co-operation improved the chances of our survival as a species, so the instinctive tendency for co-operation is deeply embedded in our brains. If this is the case, why is co-operation sometimes so difficult to establish?

In this article, Amrop guest writer Dr. Tara Swart explores the neuroscience of empathy in leadership. How can its insights help us understand and optimise our interactions with stakeholders?

Bridging the Generation Gap – Part 3: Designing the Future

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:49:11 Z

Over 25 years, directive, autocratic leadership has been replaced by democracy – by dialogue and feedback. By showing authenticity and giving autonomy. This is hardly news. What has changed is the extent to which executives will need these qualities if they are to retain and grow their new gen successors.

How are we to attract and retain the next generation of leaders? Bring out the best in them to secure performance today? Establish a leadership pipeline for tomorrow?

Where should the focus be? And as businesses thrive or fail on daily interactions, are leaders doing enough?

In this article, Amrop examines how leaders can work more effectively across generations by adapting organisation design, culture and day-to-day management to build trust, enable autonomy and develop future leaders.

As a Board, Are You Ready for the Next Black Swan?

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:25:00 Z

Your next black swan is just over the horizon.

Andrew Woodburn | South Africa

It’s natural for a board to switch to conservation mode, especially in the current climate. To focus on governance, ethics, regulatory compliance. Risk management and value protection. But a defensive bias could render your board vulnerable – unequipped to handle the unthinkable. Black swans are never far away.

In this article, Amrop examines how boards can strengthen readiness for black swan events through cognitive diversity, provisional protocols, scenario planning and a board composition that balances protection with exploration.

The past twenty-five years have delivered one unexpected mega-disruptor after another: a global financial crisis, nationalism, COVID, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, tariff wars. Even as I write, blockages in the Straits of Hormuz are impacting the world economy. The gold price is soaring. Factor in regional or localised events, and a black swan event looms into view every five years.

Bridging the Generation Gap – Part 2: The New Executive Contract

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:32:00 Z

In our last article, we asked: beyond the hype, which new generation characteristics deserve special attention? Now we examine new generation career expectations and the executive hiring strategies needed to identify future Leaders for What’s Next. This 3-part series is based on in-depth interviews with senior Amrop Partners from Northern and Central Europe, Asia, North and South America.

In this article, Amrop examines how Gen Z and Millennial career expectations are reshaping the executive contract, from purpose, pay and learning to career mobility, leadership aspirations and how organisations assess future leaders.

*Gen Z: 20-26 | Young Millennials: 27-34 | Old Millennials: 35-42 | Gen X: 43-60

Trust Arrives on Foot and Leaves on Horseback

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:17:00 Z

Storytelling and statistics are no longer enough.

Sandra Schrögenauer | Austria

64% of people say they trust CEOs in general. But 72% trust their own CEO.* This gap reveals how leadership trust is shaped less by corporate messaging and more by direct experience. It tells us that trust in a leader is based more on personal experience than corporate messaging. CEOs have never been more present online, but visibility alone does not build trust.

But when it comes to leadership communication, stakeholders don’t want more. They want better, says Sandra Schrögenauer, Managing Partner of Amrop in Austria, and a member of Amrop’s global Board Services Practice.

In this article, Amrop explores how CEOs and boards can build leadership trust through clearer communication, verifiable evidence, speak-up culture and consistent behaviour.

Bridging the Generation Gap – Part 1: Who Are Your Leaders For What's Next?

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:40:00 Z

"They have not yet been humbled by life, nor experienced the force of circumstances... They think they know everything." Aristotle.

Since the dawn of time, mature adults have been scratching their heads about the next generation. Family business owners questioning their desire and drive to keep the shop open. Educators mystified by minds that seemed to function differently. Governments worried about the survival of the social and economic fabric. In the 21st century, the Gen Z and Millennial cohorts have sparked megabytes of academic and business studies - and a host of assumptions.

Amrop’s new 3-part series, based on in-depth interviews with senior Amrop Partners, examines the relationship between the next generation and business leadership. Beyond the hype, which Gen Z and Millennial characteristics deserve special attention for organisations preparing future leaders?

In this first article, Amrop examines how Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping next generation leadership, from workplace dynamics and digital communication to resilience, succession and leadership readiness.

Feedback is Vital: How can Leaders Build a Healthy Feedback Culture?

Fri, 22 May 2026 15:14:39 Z

Paolo Clemente | Italy

Feedback is vital. But in leadership feedback, it’s often missed – and sometimes misused.

As the old adage goes: it’s lonely at the top. And younger executives are feeling isolated too, making executive feedback more important than ever. As global instability increases, taking the right decisions has never been more difficult.

But it doesn’t need to be this way – thanks to the power of constructive feedback. The counsel of supportive, objective advisors dissolves walls. It nourishes and reinforces strategy design and implementation. Yet this precious resource asks nothing of us – except an open mind, writes Paolo Clemente, a Partner at Amrop Italy.

In this article, Amrop explores how leadership feedback can strengthen decision-making, build a healthier feedback culture and support executive development in a more complex business environment.

Not-For-Profit Executive Search Now Demands More Than Purpose

Mon, 04 May 2026 11:29:00 Z

Kym Fletcher | Australia

Australia’s for-purpose sector is larger, more influential and more complex than many realise.

According to the Department of Social Services, Australia has more than 300,000 not-for-profit organisations and more than 60,000 registered charities. The latest ACNC data shows the charity sector alone generated $222 billion in revenue in 2023 and employed nearly 1.54 million people, or 10.7 per cent of Australia’s workforce.

These organisations sit at the centre of Australia’s social and economic fabric. They span health, mental health, community services, education, sport, the arts and professional bodies. Their work is often deeply human, highly visible and increasingly scrutinised.

For boards, this raises an important question at the heart of not-for-profit executive search: what calibre of leadership does the for-purpose sector now require?

The CEO Struggle Part 3: Sustaining CEO Resilience

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:36:00 Z

It’s early evening, and a CFO takes a call. A headhunter has a tempting proposition: a multinational on an M&A drive is seeking a new CEO. Can she talk? The toplines sound great. A prestigious position in an outstanding organisation. It's a natural step up. An intriguing challenge.

All these factors matter to an incoming CEO. But they are not enough. CEO resilience will depend heavily on the organisational setting: from the board and C-suite team, to the firm’s higher purpose. So, too, the top executive’s access to a peer entourage, her attitudes, purpose and self-care.

“Usually, these factors are not considered enough,” says Fredy Hausammann, Managing Partner of Amrop in Switzerland. “If you have a legacy executive team and a non-executive board which aren’t ideally configured, you’ll have trouble.” In essence: “If the setting is right, you don't have to worry about the rest.”

When the pressure is on, how can a CEO stay resilient?

CEO Assessment: Why a Polished CV is No Longer Enough

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:15:00 Z

Some characteristics remain fundamental to today’s CEO, says Fredy Hausammann, Managing Partner of Amrop in Switzerland. Communication skills. Strategic ability. And cognitive and creative intelligence, "are amongst the most validated success factors.”

Meanwhile, the need for other qualities is evolving. Naohiro “Nakki” Furuta is the Managing Partner of Amrop Jomon in Japan. He places less value today on overt charisma and power. “The current CEO needs more moderation, objectivity, an ability to stay calm.” And empathy is just as important. That shift is also changing how CEO assessment is approached.

Read our report: The CEO Struggle - Part 2: The Quest For Resilience

The CEO Struggle Part 2: The Quest For Resilient Leadership

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:49:00 Z

Every year, the media pounces upon a new cluster of high profile CEO exits. 2025 was no exception. It saw the resignations of X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, and the oustings of Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and Kohl's CEO Ashley Buchanen.

Resilience has never mattered more for the CEO. Resilient leadership is no longer a desirable quality at the top, but a defining one. Some characteristics remain fundamental, says Fredy Hausammann, Managing Partner of Amrop in Switzerland. Communication skills. Strategic ability. And cognitive and creative intelligence, "are amongst the most validated success factors.” Meanwhile, the need for other qualities is evolving. Naohiro “Nakki” Furuta is the Managing Partner of Amrop Jomon in Japan. He places less value today on overt charisma and power. “The current CEO needs more moderation, objectivity, ability to stay calm.”

The mountain top is bleak and exposed. How can it be made more habitable and fulfilling? A room from which CEOs can even occasionally enjoy the view?

Cybersecurity, Value and the Chief Information Security Officer

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:29:05 Z

Job Voorhoeve | Netherlands

Is your CISO the right player, in the right place?

Enterprise risk. Regulatory compliance. Reputation. Long-term value. Cybersecurity touches all four board imperatives. No longer just a matter of technical protection, it concerns sustainable performance and strategic resilience. That is why the chief information security officer now plays a far more strategic role than many organisations still recognise.

First-Time Non-Executive Directors: Nervousness is Healthy

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 13:06:00 Z

Elin Wrammerfors – Sweden

Here’s why, and what to do about it.

For first-time non-executive directors, nervousness is not a weakness. It is often a sign of care, judgement and respect for the responsibility of the role. Geopolitical shocks, ESG pressure and cyber threats are complicating today’s risk landscape. Shareholder scrutiny and ESG reporting are increasing the visibility of board decisions. Non-executive director candidates are increasingly alert to personal liability. But the real risks for NEDs often stem from weak governance, passive boards and groupthink.

There is good news. As an independent board member, you do not carry the burden alone, nor are you judged on clairvoyance. What matters is proper oversight, independent judgement and robust decision-making processes. How you reach a decision is often just as important as the decision itself, following each step properly and always serving the company’s best interests.

The CEO Struggle Part 1: View From the Top

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:31:00 Z

“In 2007, while running The Huffington Post, I collapsed from stress, burnout, and lack of sleep, breaking my cheekbone on my desk as I fell.”¹

Arianna Huffington has since become a vocal advocate for sleep, wellness, and mental health in leadership. But urging exhausted CEOs to get more sleep, exercise or therapy only puts more pressure on their shoulders. It's time to diagnose the problem, look at how CEOs are hired, and the infrastructure that surrounds them.

In this series, senior Amrop Partners draw on their deep conversations with boards, nominating committees and the lonely leaders atop the corporate mountain. As CEO malaise surges, read on for an insider’s view of the weather systems at the summit, and strategies to stay resilient and healthy. In Part 1, we examine the CEO's operating environment.

The AI-Accelerated Exit: How Victoria’s Work From Home Laws Reshape Local Employment

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:26:00 Z

Jamal Khan, Managing Partner, Amrop Carmichael Fisher

As Victoria’s work from home laws take effect on 1 September, a broader shift is emerging for the Victorian workforce. For many SMEs, the choice is no longer simply between the office and the spare bedroom. Policies designed to expand workplace flexibility may also accelerate structural changes already underway in the labour market. The result is a more fundamental discussion about how work will be organised in the years ahead. It also opens a broader discussion about the future of work in Australia and what flexible work in Victoria will mean for employers, employees and local economies.

For business leaders, the challenge is not simply adapting to policy change, but understanding how technology, talent and economics are reshaping the structure of work itself.