Cultural and Leadership Transformation at the Queensland Police Service

The Challenge

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is one of the state’s largest and most complex organisations, with more than 19,000 staff serving diverse communities across Queensland. With a new Government agenda focused on cultural reform, transparency, accountability, and modernisation, QPS faced a defining moment in its history.

To deliver on this vision, the Service required a fundamental renewal of its leadership team. This meant appointing a new Commissioner, reshaping the Deputy Commissioner team, and securing high-calibre executives across transformation, finance, IT, HR, legal, and policy. The goal was clear: to embed values-based leadership, strengthen governance, and deliver a modern, customer- and community-focused policing organisation.

The challenge was immense — balancing the operational complexity of policing with the need for cultural reform, while attracting leaders capable of operating at the intersection of government, community, and law enforcement.

 

 Our Approach

Luminary partnered with the QPS Board of Management, Government, and key stakeholders to design and execute a whole-of-organisation executive search program.

Our work included:

  • Commissioner Recruitment: A rigorous national and international search to identify a Commissioner who could lead both operational excellence and cultural transformation.

  • Deputy Commissioners: Recruitment of leaders with diverse operational and leadership experience to drive accountability across crime prevention, frontline services, and community safety.

  • Executive Leadership Roles: Appointment of a General Manager Transformation to lead the reform agenda, alongside Executive Directors in IT, HR, Legal, and Policy to build a modern corporate backbone supporting frontline policing.

  • CFO Recruitment: Selection of a CFO with public sector financial expertise to strengthen fiscal governance and investment in reform priorities.

At each stage, we emphasised not only technical and operational capability but also values alignment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to work collaboratively as a leadership team.

 
 

The Outcome

The recruitment program delivered a new leadership cadre across the Queensland Police Service, including:

  • A Commissioner with a mandate for cultural renewal, transparency, and modern community-focused policing.

  • Deputy Commissioners with complementary strengths, each driving operational excellence and accountability in their portfolios.

  • A General Manager Transformation who has become the anchor for delivering the Government’s reform agenda.

  • New Executive Directors across IT, HR, Legal, and Policy who are embedding modern, professional practices into the Service.

  • A CFO providing financial discipline, governance, and investment focus for long-term reform.

 

Impact

The impact of this leadership transformation has been significant:

  • Cultural change: A shift towards openness, accountability, and values-based leadership is now underway, with greater trust from staff and community.

  • Government agenda: Clear alignment of QPS strategy with Government priorities for reform, transparency, and cultural renewal.

  • Community outcomes: Stronger focus on crime prevention, service responsiveness, and building safer communities.

  • Workforce renewal: Internal staff engagement has improved, with greater investment in people, leadership development, and support for frontline officers.

  • Board and governance: A cohesive and aligned executive team now provides confidence to Government, stakeholders, and the community that reform is real and sustainable.

By partnering with QPS to deliver one of the most significant executive recruitment programs in its history, Luminary enabled the Service to reset its leadership and accelerate cultural reform. This program demonstrates the impact of a coordinated, multi-role executive search on delivering transformational outcomes for Government, community, and frontline staff.

 Let’s connect.

We're ready to partner with you to find the best talent and top-performing leaders for your organisational needs. Reach out today.