The Brief
A Tier 1 EPCM client sought to strengthen its Project Director leadership capability within its Australian operations. This was not driven by a search mandate. It was a partnership to support the executive team in aligning strategy, organisational development, and leadership pipeline capability.
The objective was to ensure the business was positioned to pursue and deliver major $1bn+ project campaigns.
The requirement centred on building leadership readiness ahead of an evolving capital project pipeline.
The focus was on identifying leaders who could operate across shifting priorities, contribute beyond pure project delivery, and bring complementary expertise, knowledge and thinking to support bid phases.
Equally important was the ability to contribute to the broader development of culture, capability and tools, strengthening both competitiveness and delivery readiness over time.
The Challenge
The challenge was to build a Project Director leadership pipeline aligned to the organisation’s vision, culture and priority project pipeline, not short term project outcomes or “guns for hire.”
This required engaging high performing leaders around long term opportunity and regional impact, rather than a defined role.
At the same time, aligning timing and availability was critical, recognising that top Project Directors do not leave active project campaigns prematurely without a strong rationale.
Our Approach
Goldrick deployed Envision, a tailored solution designed to support succession planning, leadership pipeline development, and broader organisational growth and transformation.
This included:
- Leader Discovery & Definition (LDD) Aligning with the executive team on vision, culture, and the leadership profile required to support the priority project pipeline. This included defining the key skills, knowledge, delivery track record, and industry relevance, while also aligning on the traits and attributes that define a contemporary Project Director within a global EPCM environment.
- Research & Market Intelligence Global mapping of the Project Director market across energy, chemicals and natural resources, supported by performance benchmarking. This was highly tuned to the client’s project pipeline, and candidate brand and credibility, identifying leaders with the capability and mindset to operate across both bid and delivery environments.
- Candidate Engagement (CCG) A phased and intentional engagement approach spanning 12+ months, building assurance around candidate qualification, fit, and long term alignment, focused on establishing genuine connection and buy in, and aligning motivations to the organisation’s direction, opportunity, and regional impact.
This approach enabled the client to:
- Build a credible and engaged Project Director leadership pipeline
- Test alignment beyond technical capability, including purpose, culture and long term fit
- Navigate timing and availability with high calibre candidates in a constrained market
Outcome
The engagement established a high quality Project Director leadership pipeline, with five motivated and engaged leaders aligned to the organisation’s growth priorities.
Over a six month period, two Project Directors were successfully appointed, with a further two to three leaders well positioned to commit as the project pipeline converts.
This approach delivered value beyond individual appointments:
- Improved decision making, with greater confidence through early engagement, alignment, and validation of leadership capability
- Reduced time to appointment, enabling the organisation to move with speed when required to secure projects and build end client trust
- Cost efficiency, with multiple appointments delivered through a single, structured process
The result was a ready and aligned leadership pipeline, providing flexibility and confidence as the organisation’s project portfolio evolves.
This case reflects Goldrick’s role as a strategic partner, providing foresight, leadership intelligence, and advisory support beyond a transactional search, requiring trust, patience, and resilience to achieve shared outcomes.
If you would like to learn more about this case study, or how we support leadership pipeline development in project based environments, please get in touch.
