Chief Executive Officer, McKinnon
Chief Executive Officer, McKinnon
Contract Type:
Location: Flexible
Industry: CEO & General Management
Contact Name: Simon Holloway
Contact Email: sholloway@derwentsearch.com.au
Contact Phone: +61 3 9691 1300
Date Published: 06-Aug-2026
This is where your leadership finds its purpose.
Few things matter more to Australia than the quality of its governments. McKinnon exists to build better governments and a stronger Australia, developing political leadership, strengthening the public sector and democracy, and advancing policy solutions to some of the country's most important challenges.
The role
Independent, with significant resources and a clear mandate to act, McKinnon works across political divides to improve the systems, institutions and leadership that shape Australia.
McKinnon does more than fund research or advocate for promising ideas. McKinnon brings together government, evidence and implementation expertise, and work alongside its partners through the difficult process of turning an idea into results.
The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring McKinnon delivers meaningful, measurable impact in areas that can materially improve the quality of government in Australia. They will set the strategy, make clear choices about where McKinnon can have the greatest impact, and maintain a relentless focus on delivering long term system change.
The person
You have led at the top, and you are ready for your most consequential work yet. Work that will outlast you, for the generations that follow. You are as at home in a party room as in a boardroom. You can carry a conviction across the political divide. You judge your own work by what changed after you left.
McKinnon's work and impact
McKinnon works across four connected areas: developing and celebrating political leadership; strengthening public-sector capability; renewing Australia's democracy; and advancing policy innovations that can deliver better outcomes at scale.
McKinnon's best known work includes the McKinnon Institute and the McKinnon Prize for Political Leadership. Recently McKinnon has scaled its investment in democracy through a public facing campaign, and advanced policy innovation in areas including education and economic reform.
Together, this work has built a strong platform for impact: a trusted, independent brand, a clear strategy, a high-calibre team and the long-term financial strength to pursue ambitious reform. With promising early signs across its programs, the next Chief Executive has the opportunity to build on these foundations and deliver meaningful, measurable improvements in the quality of government in Australia.
Begin with a conversation, in confidence
Simon Holloway
Managing Partner
sholloway@derwentsearch.com.au
Sharne Bryan
Partner
sbryan@derwentsearch.com.au
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Few things matter more to Australia than the quality of its governments. McKinnon exists to build better governments and a stronger Australia, developing political leadership, strengthening the public sector and democracy, and advancing policy solutions to some of the country's most important challenges.
The role
Independent, with significant resources and a clear mandate to act, McKinnon works across political divides to improve the systems, institutions and leadership that shape Australia.
McKinnon does more than fund research or advocate for promising ideas. McKinnon brings together government, evidence and implementation expertise, and work alongside its partners through the difficult process of turning an idea into results.
The Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring McKinnon delivers meaningful, measurable impact in areas that can materially improve the quality of government in Australia. They will set the strategy, make clear choices about where McKinnon can have the greatest impact, and maintain a relentless focus on delivering long term system change.
The person
You have led at the top, and you are ready for your most consequential work yet. Work that will outlast you, for the generations that follow. You are as at home in a party room as in a boardroom. You can carry a conviction across the political divide. You judge your own work by what changed after you left.
McKinnon's work and impact
McKinnon works across four connected areas: developing and celebrating political leadership; strengthening public-sector capability; renewing Australia's democracy; and advancing policy innovations that can deliver better outcomes at scale.
McKinnon's best known work includes the McKinnon Institute and the McKinnon Prize for Political Leadership. Recently McKinnon has scaled its investment in democracy through a public facing campaign, and advanced policy innovation in areas including education and economic reform.
Together, this work has built a strong platform for impact: a trusted, independent brand, a clear strategy, a high-calibre team and the long-term financial strength to pursue ambitious reform. With promising early signs across its programs, the next Chief Executive has the opportunity to build on these foundations and deliver meaningful, measurable improvements in the quality of government in Australia.
Begin with a conversation, in confidence
Simon Holloway
Managing Partner
sholloway@derwentsearch.com.au
Sharne Bryan
Partner
sbryan@derwentsearch.com.au
