Lisa Maloney is a Partner at Omera Partners based in our Brisbane office, specialising in Chief Executive Officer appointments across health, life sciences, social and community infrastructure, and agriculture, working with clients on local and global appointments. She partners with listed companies, private businesses, private equity and investment backed organisations,government owned corporations, and for purpose organisations to build leadership teams that genuinely connect to organisational purpose.
What arethe biggest challenges your clients face in finding senior talent?
“In executive search, most organisations can describe what a Chief Executive Officer or senior leadership role needs on paper, but not always what will make a candidate thrive once appointed. I spend time exploring leadership options clients had not considered, which usually leads to a stronger appointment decision and a better return on what is a significant investment in senior talent.”
Which industries or functions do you specialise in?
“I focus on building leadership teams, usually starting with the Chief Executive Officer ,across health, life sciences, social and community infrastructure, aged care, disability services, and agriculture. I work with listed, private, private equity and investment backed, government owned, and for purpose organisations across Australia and globally. Several clients have trusted me with more than one Chief Executive Officer appointment over many years, which speaks to the depth of those relationships.”
What types of appointments are you most proud of?
“Chief Executive Officer appointments across health, life sciences, and community infrastructure are where I do my most meaningful work. There is a particular weight to placing a leader who will shape how an entire organisation delivers on its purpose, and getting it right takes both technical market knowledge and judgement about culture and fit.”
Videri, a dementia care organisation backed by Skip Capital and the Gonski Family,required a new Chief Executive Officer following a period of significant growth. The obvious candidate profile pointed toward a traditional aged care background, but the Board recognised that the next phase of Videri's development called for stronger commercial and growth capability.
Lisa looked past the expected profile and appointed a candidate with a strong commercial background, a decision that has since been credited with accelerating Videri's growth trajectory.
As Lisa reflects: “This is what I love most about this work, finding the leader nobody expected but everybody needed.”
How do you build trust with both clients and candidates?
“I try to be genuinely useful to both clients and candidates throughout the executive search process, even when that means an uncomfortable conversation. I will always tell clients and candidates my honest opinion about a role or an appointment rather than what is easiest to hear. That authenticity, more than anything, is why clients return to me for their next senior leadership appointment.”
"To me, greatness is rarely about being the smartest person in the room. It is having the curiosity to keep asking better questions until the right answer, and the right leader, reveals itself. I want every client and candidate in my executive search process to feel that effort, and enjoy the journey.”
What keeps you energised outside of work?
“I own and run a farm in regional NSW. There is nothing like it for keeping your feet on the ground. Beyond that, it is family, a big one, and a genuine love of good ideas and interesting people.”
