Appointing a Strategic Leader for the Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism

Gerard Kerr, Co-Founder and General Manager of Search and Selection at Kingston Human Capital

About The Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism (DWATSIPM)



The Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism (DWATSIPM) plays a critical role in advancing equity, representation and inclusion across Queensland.


The department works across women’s policy, multicultural affairs, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partnerships and community outcomes. The position of Director-General required an exceptional executive capable of guiding strategic priorities while engaging with diverse stakeholders across government and the community.


Kingston Human Capital was engaged to conduct a national executive search to identify and appoint a leader capable of delivering on the department’s vision and long-term objectives.

Queensland Government The Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism (DWATSIPM) Recruitment
The Hiring Requirement

The department required a highly capable executive leader who could:



  • Lead a complex public sector organisation
  • Build trust across diverse stakeholder groups
  • Drive reform and strategic outcomes
  • Demonstrate exceptional governance capabilities
  • Deliver culturally informed leadership
  • Navigate politically and socially sensitive environments


The successful candidate needed to bring both strategic leadership expertise and the ability to foster meaningful partnerships across multiple communities and government stakeholders.

Role We Hired

Strategic Leader

Channels We Used

Arts Hub, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Seek, Kingston Human Capital Database, traditional search and selection and our Search Algorithm.

The Challenge

Several factors increased the complexity of this recruitment project:


  • Machinery-of-government changes required strong transformational leadership
  • Stakeholder expectations spanned multiple communities and interest groups
  • The position carried significant public visibility and accountability
  • Diversity and inclusion objectives were critical considerations
  • The recruitment process required robust, transparent and equitable assessment practices


Finding a candidate who could satisfy all requirements while aligning with the department's vision required a comprehensive and carefully managed executive search process.


How did we overcome this challenge?

Inclusive National Search


Kingston Human Capital implemented a targeted executive search campaign across Australia and New Zealand.


The attraction strategy incorporated:


  • Executive search networks
  • Referral pathways
  • Industry contacts
  • National advertising
  • Direct approaches to senior executive talent
Diversity Outreach and Representation


A deliberate effort was made to engage diverse leadership communities and ensure broad candidate representation throughout the recruitment campaign.


This included outreach across:


  • Women in leadership networks
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership communities
  • Multicultural professional networks
  • Executive public sector talent pools
Rigorous Evaluation Process


Candidates progressed through a structured assessment process designed to ensure fairness, transparency and alignment with the position requirements.


Assessment activities included:


  • Application review
  • Behavioural interviews
  • Strategic leadership assessment
  • Stakeholder engagement evaluation
  • Governance capability assessment
Applications Received
Women Applicants
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
Final Shortlisted Candidates

184

72%

10%

5


The Appointment

The recruitment process delivered a highly competitive and diverse candidate pool.


The appointed candidate demonstrated:


  • Extensive senior executive leadership experience
  • Strong public sector credentials
  • Proven ability to lead complex reform initiatives
  • Deep stakeholder engagement capability
  • Strategic vision and operational leadership expertise


The appointment provided the department with a leader capable of delivering long-term outcomes while strengthening partnerships across Queensland communities.


What the client valued most?

Key strengths of the recruitment process included:


  • Comprehensive market coverage
  • Strong diversity outcomes
  • A transparent and structured assessment methodology
  • High-quality candidate insights
  • Effective stakeholder engagement throughout the process


The process delivered confidence in both the shortlisted candidates and the final appointment decision.


Impact Delivered

✅ 184 applications received from across Australia and New Zealand

✅ Strong representation from women leaders

✅ Meaningful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidate participation

✅ High-calibre executive shortlist

✅ Successful appointment of a strategic public sector leader

✅ Strengthened leadership capability for a critical Queensland government portfolio


Ready to Appoint Your Next Executive Leader?

Gerard Kerr, Co Founder and General Manager of Search and Selection at Kingston Human Capital, Queensland Government Executive Recruitment Services

Meet Gerard Kerr

Gerard Kerr is Co-Founder and General Manager of Search and Selection at Kingston Human Capital.


With more than 20 years’ experience in recruitment, Gerard has deep networks and extensive expertise managing complex search and selection projects across a range of sectors including local state and federal government, statutory authorities, government-owned corporations and ASX-listed companies.

We work as an agile team across retained recruitment projects, ensuring we can commit the time and effort of our entire search team. This allows us to reach further into the market, which means we get to evaluate more candidates and get high-quality results.

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