AESC Executive Research Forum Sydney 2018

Amanda Williams is a Client partner at Korn Ferry's Sydney office.

Ms. Williams joined Korn Ferry from another leading search company, where she was lead partner of the financial leadership (CFO & CRO) and insurance practices. She started her career with Ernst & Young where she worked in the banking and financial services industry sector in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. As her chartered accounting progressed, she became a recognized Credit Risk specialist.

She holds expertise in financial services sector, and a strong sales and account management.

She has led searches for some of Australia's leading ASX listed organizations and, with her focus on diversity, has developed a reputation for helping clients address issues surrounding a lack of diversity in leadership. She has worked with organizations to identify high potential diverse talent and facilitated client workshops on how to deal pragmatically with, and to respond to, some of the challenges associated with the current lack of diversity.

Ms. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts (hons) in economics and politics from the University of Reading (United Kingdom) and is a chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Dorje Swallow is a NIDA graduate, Law and Film Graduate and John Curtin College of the Arts Graudate, who has worked professionally as an actor and voice-over artist for over 25 years. For television, he has been the voice of SBS Channel for 12 years and NBC Universal Channel Australia for 5 years. He has worked extensively in Theatre, Television, and Feature Films, and also specialises in Corporate Education in the Art of Communication. This will be his first conference for AESC.

Patrick Rooney, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, is based in Hong Kong. He also holds responsibility for AESC education programs for researchers and associates. Before joining AESC in 2013, Patrick was an executive search consultant with a boutique firm in the higher education sector. He worked on a number of senior academic appointments in: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, Kuwait and Pakistan. Patrick was also responsible for overseeing a team of search consultants and researchers.

As Digital Partner at Cognizant for Manufacturing, Logistics, Energy & Utilities, Stephen leads strategic engagement with top clients in this sector. Working as an insightful digital ‘sherpa’ and master facilitator, he enables clients to create a clear business vision and roadmap, and build the required strategy, operations, IT capability, leadership, culture and employee engagement to achieve it.

Through a holistic approach that addresses strategy, people, process, data and systems, Stephen helps clients harness the power of technology to drive business innovation and transformation. He brings a powerful combination of strategic insight, design thinking, leadership alignment, cultural change and implementation discipline to lasting client partnerships.

Stephen's unique skillset, acquired through investment banking, technology, management consulting, creative agency and executive leadership roles in Australia, the US and Europe, allows him to see multiple ways to create value for clients. He helps bring together many perspectives around the leadership table - from business strategy to IT, marketing, operations and people/culture - to create a unified context and commitment to succeed.

As client and consultant, banker and borrower, investor and CEO, he has built, bought and sold several businesses, and been involved in a number of start-ups in the digital, concrete reinforcement and professional services sectors.

Stephen is also an accomplished author and public speaker. His book “It’s a Dog’s Job (But Someone’s Got To Do It)” offers a cheeky, mad-dog look at the world of management consulting. Consultants will discover the tricks and traps of canine career survival and clients can learn how to get consultants to heed their Master’s voice and deliver the juicy results they pay for. Dig up all the details at: www.itsadogsjob.com.

John Whiting is an industry leader with more than 20 years’ experience in executive search and talent consulting. He specialises in transformational leadership roles including CEOs and COOs, as well as CIOs, CTOs and CDOs. While he has particular expertise in technology, John also places high calibre executives in healthcare, banking, industrial, professional services and other sectors.

Professional Focus:
– Over 20 years’ experience in executive search, with extensive experience managing assignments on an international and global basis
– Specialises in senior leadership and transformational roles including Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Chief Information Officers and Chief Digital Officers
– Expertise in a range of industries including technology, healthcare, banking, financial services, industrial, utilities and professional services across Australia, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US
– Provides both executive search and interim management solutions

Business Expertise:
– Partner and Global Head of Technology and Transformation practice at another leading global executive search firm
– Led strategic growth of technology business across APAC as Head of the Advanced Technology Group at one of the world’s largest executive search firms
– Additional roles at various other search firms included Head of Technology Practice, Director of Talent Management & Executive Search, Managing Director, Senior Executive Search Consultant
– Managing Director and Founder of his own executive search firm, which he ran for nearly a decade
– 15 years’ experience in senior and operational leadership roles in Europe and the US, including European Operations Manager at Digital Equipment Corporation

Practice Membership:
– Global Industry Practices
– CIO/CTO/CSO/CISO
​– Logistics/Supply Chain
– Technology

Additional Sector Expertise:
– Banking
– Financial Services
– Healthcare & Life Sciences
– Industrial
– Interim Management
– Professional Services
– Utilities

Education & Certifications
– Studied at INSEAD and Henley Business School (UK)

Patrick Rooney, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, is based in Hong Kong. He also holds responsibility for AESC education programs for researchers and associates. Before joining AESC in 2013, Patrick was an executive search consultant with a boutique firm in the higher education sector. He worked on a number of senior academic appointments in: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE, Kuwait and Pakistan. Patrick was also responsible for overseeing a team of search consultants and researchers.

With an industry background that includes Professional Services and Telecoms, Nick advises, recruits, and helps retain outstanding talent for Digital, Technology, and Services businesses. Nick is a member of the Digital Transformation practice, helping clients build capability across their channel, marketing and technology teams.

Nick joined Russell Reynolds Associates from Telstra, where he was General Manager Corporate Strategy. Prior to this, Nick was a Manager with A.T. Kearney, a leading management consultancy. In his four years at A.T. Kearney, in both Australia and the United Kingdom, he completed a wide range of strategy, change management, and procurement projects with a particular focus on the telecommunications industry.

Nick received his bachelor's degree in engineering from Sheffield University and graduated first in his M.B.A. class from Warwick Business School. He is also a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Staff College.

Nick served for seven years as an Officer in the British Army, where his responsibilities included leading the professional training of all Officers joining the Royal Engineers.

Amanda Williams is a Client Partner at Korn Ferry's Sydney office. Ms. Williams joined Korn Ferry from another leading search company, where she was lead partner of the financial leadership (CFO & CRO) and insurance practices. She started her career with Ernst & Young where she worked in the banking and financial services industry sector in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. As her chartered accounting career progressed, she became a recognized Credit Risk specialist.

She hold expertise in financial services sector, and a strong sales and account management.

She has led searches fr some of Australia's leading ASX listed organizations and, with her focus on diversity, has developed a reputation for helping clients address issues surrounding a lack of diversity in leadership. She has worked with organizations to identify high potential diverse talent and facilitated client workshops on how to deal pragmatically with, and to respond to, some of the challenges associated with the current lack of diversity.

Ms. Williams holds a bachelor of arts (hons) in economics & politics from the University of Reading (United Kingdom) and is a chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants.