Partnering with Queensland Education to Recruit Senior Executives and Board Members

The Challenge

Queensland’s Department of Education is one of the largest and most complex public sector organisations in the state, with responsibility for more than 1,200 schools, thousands of staff, and the education outcomes of over half a million students. The scale, diversity, and strategic importance of the Department requires an exceptional leadership team capable of navigating policy complexity, community expectations, and long-term reform.

With the Department undertaking significant renewal and modernisation, leadership appointments at the highest levels were critical. This included securing strong executive leadership in the Director-General and senior tiers, as well as ensuring effective governance through high-calibre board members.

 

 Our Approach

Over several years, Luminary has partnered with Queensland Education as a trusted executive search and advisory partner, delivering appointments across the full spectrum of leadership roles. Our work has included:

  • Director-General recruitment, securing the Department’s chief executive to set strategy and lead transformational change.

  • Associate and Deputy Directors-General appointments, strengthening executive depth across critical portfolios.

  • Assistant Directors-General, Executive Directors, and Directors, ensuring strong leadership capacity in operations, policy, and delivery.

  • Board recruitment, identifying and appointing high-calibre external leaders to governance roles, bringing diversity of thought, sector expertise, and community representation.

Our approach has consistently balanced rigorous executive search — including national and international reach — with deep knowledge of Queensland’s public sector and education landscape. We assessed candidates not only on technical expertise but also on values alignment, stakeholder engagement, and cultural leadership capability.

 
 

The Outcome

Through this sustained partnership, Luminary has successfully delivered leadership renewal across the Department’s entire senior executive cohort and governance framework, including:

  • Director-General and Associate Director-General appointments.

  • Deputy and Assistant Directors-General across multiple portfolios.

  • Executive Directors and Directors to strengthen divisional leadership capacity.

  • A series of board appointments that have enhanced governance and strategic oversight.

 

Impact

The impact of these appointments has been felt across every level of Queensland Education:

  • Government confidence: A Director-General and senior team able to deliver on reform priorities and policy commitments.

  • Leadership strength: A cohesive, capable executive cohort with the depth to manage one of the state’s largest workforces.

  • Governance renewal: Board members providing strong oversight, accountability, and external perspective.

  • Future readiness: A leadership pipeline designed to ensure the Department can respond to challenges in education, workforce, and community engagement for decades to come.

By partnering across both executive and board levels, Luminary has supported Queensland Education in building the leadership and governance capacity required to guide one of Queensland’s most significant departments. This case study highlights our ability to act as a whole-of-organisation talent partner, ensuring alignment from the boardroom to the executive table.

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