EXECUTIVE HEADHUNTING — AI LEADERSHIP
WE HEADHUNT
AI-NATIVE
EXECUTIVES.
Titles don't define roles anymore.
Capabilities and outcomes do. You're here because you need a game-changer — someone who doesn't just understand AI but knows how to build it into the business.
The person you need isn't looking for a "job”.
That's who we headhunt for you.
WHO WE HUNT
The game-changers
redefining
executive roles.
AI fluency isn't a bonus anymore. It's the baseline.
The executives other companies want to keep own a capability stack — automated workflows, AI guardrails, humans and machines working together.
They're in demand. That's exactly who we hunt for you.
THE VISIONARIES
AI-NATIVE
LEADERS.
Setting the AI agenda for the entire business.
Chief AI Officer (CAIO)
Chief AI Scientist
Chief AI & Data Officer (CAIDO)
VP / Head of AI
THE OPERATORS
AI-ENABLED
EXECUTIVES.
Embedding AI into functions and teams.
Chief Technology Officer
Chief Product Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Financial/ Revenue Officer
Chief Information Security Officer
THE BUILDERS
AI-EXECUTION
EXPERTS.
Turning AI strategy into real world outcomes.
VP / Head of AI Transformation
AI Agent Architect
AI Product Manager
AI Solutions Architect
Head of Machine Learning
Head of Automation Systems
HOW WE HUNT
We Headhunt.
WE DON’T
RECRUIT.
We go after the ones who aren't actively looking.
Every hunt starts with three profiles — your company, the role, and the person. We define all three before we start.
80%
of the executives we place weren't looking for a new role. We go after the game-changers their employers are fighting to keep.
90%
of roles we hunt require hybrid or specialist AI skills. These aren't roles you fill from a job board. They require precision targeting.
93%
of roles we headhunt are new or completely restructured. The brief doesn't exist yet — and that's exactly where we start.
DON’T HAVE A POSITION DESCRIPTION YET?
THAT’S NORMAL.
We'll help you define the role, set the KPIs, and build a 30, 60, 90 day performance framework before the hunt begins. We help you write it.
ABOUT HEADHUNTLY
WE KNOW THE AVERAGE
FROM THE GAME-CHANGERS.
We work with a small number of companies where the role is complex, the stakes are high, and the right hire genuinely changes the business.
We are not your ordinary recruiters. We have on the tools experience, with a background in building and implementing AI — we understand what a high-calibre AI executive actually looks like in practice. Not just on paper.
That's how we find the people others can't.
Elizabeth mcdonald
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
FAQ
QUESTIONS
ANSWERED.
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Honestly? Rarely is it just money.
Yes, at a minimum the package needs to stack up — nobody moves backwards. But the reasons people make a move are as individual as the person. A step up. A company whose direction genuinely excites them. A culture that fits better. A chance to build something from scratch rather than inherit someone else's playbook. Location. Autonomy. The size of the AI agenda they'd be owning.
Our job is to find the real motivation — and that only comes from a human conversation, not an algorithm. You can't prompt your way to trust.
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That's more common than you'd think — especially with AI leadership roles that didn't exist 18 months ago.
On the role — that's exactly where we start. We'll work with you to define the capability you need, what the role actually looks like in your business, and what success looks like at 30, 60, and 90 days.
On salary — we'll give you a straight read on what the market looks like for the calibre of person you're after. No fluff. If the budget doesn't match the brief, we'll tell you that too.
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No two roles, companies or candidate are the same. If it's a senior AI leadership role, it's likely in our wheelhouse. Get in touch and we can go through it together
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Anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. It depends on the complexity of the role and how sharp the brief is. Candidates want all the details and deliverables.
That's why we invest time defining the role properly before we start — a precise brief makes for a faster, more targeted hunt.
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Recruiting is reactive. A job ad goes up, candidates apply, you pick from who shows up.
Headhunting is the opposite. We identify exactly who you need, find them wherever they are, and make a compelling enough case to move someone who wasn't looking. Two very different processes. Two very different outcomes.
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We predominantly hunt within Australia — for global companies with Australian teams and Australian businesses hiring the best person regardless of where they sit. If the right person is overseas, we'll find them.
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We work with companies where the role is genuinely complex and the right hire matters. Size is less relevant than whether the role requires precision headhunting rather than a standard search. We’ll tell you if you’re better to recruit vs headhunt for the role.
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We work exclusively — one client, one role, complete focus.
Our fee is a fixed placement fee, on signed employment contract. And if the placement doesn't work out during the candidate's probation period, we start the hunt again.