Fisher Leadership Announces New Services

August 13, 2019 – Australia-based executive search firm Fisher Leadership has announced that its founder and director Jo Fisher is joining forces with HR advisory and leadership specialist Michelle Loader of Advancity to expand the reach and services of the firm.

Joining the well-established managing partners Liz Jones and Andrew Norton, are Gabriel Edwards of Engaging People to lead Fisher Leadership’s “CogNative” advisory practice, and Jason Kuner, client solutions expert, to head up the new gig executive business.

The executive search business will remain a core competency strengthened by the new CogNative advisory and gig executive practices offering wrap-around solutions for executives impacting the future of work, said Fisher Leadership. Ms. Loader, former Chandler Macleod CEO, will assume the role of managing director across the three businesses.

Ms. Fisher said they are driven to face disruption in the industry head on, sharpening their focus on bringing more diversity to the decision-making table at board level. “We were one of the first firms to insist on gender diversity in our selection processes and have since impacted leadership in cultural and linguistic diversity significantly,” she said. “Today I remain committed to advocating for greater cognitive diversity – or diversity of thought – on boards to actualize social and commercial value amidst accelerated change.”

Growth and Integration

The addition of a new managing director signals momentum in the firm’s growth and integration of the advisory and gig executive practices into local and global markets.

“Fisher Leadership is known for being out in front of the field,” said Ms. Loader. “The way we are reframing leadership and mapping workforce solutions with augmentation, automation and future jobs in mind, is really about two things – one: being astute listeners and two: being great partners delivering strategic executive solutions for the future.”

The ownership group consists of a mix of long-standing specialists collaborating with new talent who bring diversified skills to the search team.

Chairman Leon Lau is a human resources technology pioneer who founded Peoplebank and has long understood the need for a start-up mentality within big business, said Fisher Leadership. As a shareholder in the firm, Mr. Lau brings a global mindset with experience in the Asia Pacific region. “I’m delighted with the way the team here sees disruption as opportunity, and shift gears to meet it head on,” said Mr. Lau.

Mr. Edwards, a well-known leader within the people strategy space, said the new partnership is born of values alignment and a commitment to making a real difference to the executive journey. “I will certainly continue to provide quality, bespoke support to high profile leaders and teams as I’ve done for 14 years, but now with the power of all stages of the executive value chain operating in sync,” he said.

Relationships First 

Ms. Jones and Mr. Norton who lead the health, independent schools and higher education and research teams, agree. “This business has always been about relationships, and the changes simply enable us to build executive solutions with a more integrated approach,” said Ms. Jones.

The continued focus on exceptional candidate care overlaid with the long-standing commitment to executive diversity will underpin new products and services across executive search, strategic advisory, leadership transition and gig executive talent.

“Jo will continue her specialization in board and C-suite search and advisory,” said Ms. Loader. “With a record number of searches happening right now across four countries, a growing cohort of gig executives being placed at speed in progressive workplaces every single day and a suite of new, future-oriented advisory solutions going live with the CogNative business, Jo is as excited as the rest of the team about shaping a better tomorrow.”

Fisher Leadership, formerly Jo Fisher Executive, is based in Melbourne. Founded in 2002, it operates nationally and internationally on behalf of Australian and New Zealand organizations. The firm’s services include executive search, interim appointments, career coaching and mentoring, and leadership advisory. Fisher Leadership focuses on organizations with strategic objectives that include positive social impact, in which strong people skills, change-agility and enthusiasm for positive societal outcomes are important leadership qualities.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media