Hermina Sudar is Associate Partner in the Board Practice at Omera Partners, where she leads board search assignments for organisations internationally. She is recognised for the depth and reach of her networks, the rigour she brings to every mandate, and a talent for finding remarkable board members. We spoke with Hermina about the craft of board research, the assignments closest to her heart, and what greatness looks like from her perspective.

What is your role at Omera Partners and what brought you to executive search research?

“I lead our global board research assignments across a wide range of industries. I have spent more than 20 years in executive search, and over 15 of them specialising in board appointments. I came to search from a professional services background across both accounting and legal.  In my role at Deloitte, I managed teams and ran around 300 hundred events (nationally) each year, including the marketing programmes. What drew me in to Board Search, and what has kept me motivated, is the chance to think laterally about the composition of each board and the skills that would most enhance it.”

What does the research process involve, and how do you support the board practice?

“For each assignment I build a thorough picture of the relevant market: which organisations hold the talent we need, which individuals have the track record and trajectory that fit the brief, and where the less obvious candidates can be found. That involves global research across multiple industries, database and market intelligence work, direct outreach, and careful qualification conversations with senior people who are often not actively looking. Ciaran and I then brief our clients on the landscape and support each search through to shortlist, holding myself to a simple standard: by the time I present to a client, the field has been genuinely and laterally covered. Through the years I have spent in the Board Practice, I have also built strong connections across executive teams and boards.”

What do candidates, clients and colleagues experience when they work with you?

"Candidates and clients tell me they value the depth of research I bring, and the confidence that comes from knowing every avenue has been explored. I am known for lateral thinking and for exceptional networking, and for the lasting relationships those produce. I am results driven, and I pride myself on providing exceptional service to both candidates and clients, keeping them informed with regular updates so they always know where a search stands. Colleagues would probably say that I do not let a brief go until I am satisfied the right people have been found, and that I am always willing to look in places others would not think to."

What do you most enjoy about working at Omera Partners, and what are you most proud of in your work?

“I love the investigative quality of board research. There is real satisfaction in starting with a complex brief and a blank page, then systematically building a picture of a market that did not exist before. Omera Partners gives me assignments where that effort genuinely matters to the organisations we serve, and I have enjoyed helping to spearhead the firm’s growth and establish the Board Practice. Over my career I have completed more than a thousand board searches. What I am also proud of is the work I do with the not for profit sector, helping organisations such as UN Women, the NSW Cancer Council and The Benevolent Society renew their boards. Those are the searches that give our team an additional sense of meaning.”

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‍“When we think laterally to uncover great leaders for our clients, that is what ‘Where greatness is found’ means to me.”  

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What does life look like outside the office?

“Away from board search, my passions are my family and property development. My husband and I are currently restoring a derelict 1970s house in Sydney, which is keeping us both very busy.”