Australia CSO — Technology (Regional Leadership)

Position overview

Gladwin International Leadership Advisors is representing a confidential organisation in Technology & Digital on a senior CSO leadership mandate anchored in Australia.

This is a P&L-owning regional leadership mandate with full accountability for revenue, margin, talent, and governance across the defined geography.

The organisation wants a leader who can hold tension — growth vs. control, global standards vs. local speed — without false trade-offs.

Context you will inherit

• Market & sector: Establishing high-performance GCC leadership that operates with true autonomy and strategic charter, not just offshore delivery ownership
• Geographic spine: Primary hub Australia with reporting lines into global / regional matrix partners.
• Organisation stage: Post-integration operating model still settling — some processes are global templates, others are stubbornly local.
• Stakeholders: Expect dense matrix: global product houses, regional P&L owners, shared services, and internal audit all pull on the same calendar.
• Secondary lens: Navigating IPO readiness, PE/VC governance expectations, and public company compliance as growth-stage businesses scale

The mandate (12–24 month arc)

1. Where to play: Refresh corporate strategy — segments, geographies, and capability bets with explicit trade-offs.
2. M&A funnel: Build a disciplined pipeline — themes, targets, and valuation guardrails aligned with balance sheet.
3. Competitive intelligence: Institutionalise insight on rivals, substitutes, and regulatory direction.
4. Board narrative: Equip the CEO with crisp strategy materials — problem, choice, path, and metrics.
5. Strategic initiatives: Run the PMO for cross-enterprise programmes with clear owners and milestones.
6. Scenario planning: Stress-test strategy under downside macro, regulatory, or technology shocks.

Responsibilities (representative)

• Facilitate corporate strategy process — options, choices, and capital implications.
• Run strategic initiative PMO across the enterprise or region.
• Build M&A theme development and early diligences with corp dev.
• Deliver competitive and market intelligence to the executive committee.
• Support board strategy discussions with crisp materials and scenarios.

Leadership profile

• Strategy craft: Experience framing corporate choices with analytical rigour and executive alignment.
• Education: Strong undergraduate grounding; MBA / advanced degree / professional qualification common at this level.
• Communication: Executive presence in English; additional languages valued where market-relevant.
• Judgment: High signal-to-noise under pressure; ethical clarity; willingness to halt initiatives that break risk appetite.
• Geographic muscle: Deep experience leading in or from Australia with credible local stakeholder judgment.

Team & culture

You inherit a mixed-tenure team — pockets of excellence beside roles that need upgrade. The mandate is to raise the bar without demoralising the organisation: clear standards, fair process, and visible wins that prove the new pace is achievable.

Success measures (examples)

• Value creation: EBITDA / cash trajectory vs. owner or board case — especially under stress scenarios.
• Execution: On-time delivery of named transformation milestones; reduction in repeat incidents or audit findings.
• Leadership: External hires and internal promotions that stick; reduction in key-person concentration.
• Innovation: Launched offers or capabilities that move the needle on differentiation, not pilots that stall.

First 90 days (orientation arc)

• Days 1–30: Map cash, covenant, and customer concentration risks before announcing initiatives.
• Days 30–60: Align owners and board on a 12-month value story — financial and non-financial.
• Days 60–90: Launch two quick operational fixes that build credibility with frontline managers.
• Deep-dive on talent — who is load-bearing, who is blocking, where external hire is mandatory.
• Socialise a simple KPI tree so every function sees how their metrics roll up.

Stakeholder map (illustrative)

• Internal: Executive committee, functional peers, shared services leads, and programme PMOs.
• External: Key suppliers, technology partners, and joint-venture boards where applicable.
• Board / owners: Expect deep dives on risk, liquidity, talent, and transformation — slides light, substance heavy.

Travel & mobility

Expect substantial travel — customer, hub, and owner meetings. Specific cadence discussed with shortlisted candidates.

Compensation

Package aligned to CSO benchmarks in Technology & Digital — typically fixed, variable, benefits, and mobility where applicable. Structure detailed at shortlist.

Application status

This mandate is no longer accepting new applications. The search progressed through Q4 2025 and closed for submissions in February 2026. We retain this posting for transparency on the type of leadership work we carry in Technology & Digital and Australia. For similar active mandates, browse open roles or submit a general profile through executive search inquiry.

Reference: technology-digital · CSO · Australia · Gladwin International Leadership Advisors