Benefit from the experience of current leaders to help you better achieve your business and career goals. Our Watermark team ask highly regarded leaders to share their knowledge and expertise of agile leadership spanning a multitude of different sectors. Avoid the pitfalls and hear key takeaways of how to navigate different leadership challenges, clearing the path for your success. We have recently added another series within our podcast channel: The Masterclass Series! This series transforms our esteemed interim webinars into easily accessible podcast episodes.
High‑Performance Leadership: Lessons from the Field to the Boardroom
In this episode of Watermark’s Agile Leadership Lessons Podcast, host Chris Grant, Partner Executive Search at Watermark Search, sits down with special guest Brad Lloyd, Director at Apogee Sports, former General Manager of Football at Carlton Football Club, former General Manager List Management at Fremantle Dockers, and former AFL Player Agent at Elite Sports Properties. They have a powerful conversation exploring the crossover between elite sport and modern business leadership.
With an extraordinary year ahead for Australian sport, the pair unpack what executives can learn from the way high‑performing athletes, coaches and teams operate under pressure. Brad shares how leaders can stay agile when the landscape can shift overnight, how to build and sustain a high‑performance strategy, and what it really takes to foster resilience and mental toughness within teams.
Chris and Brad discuss the importance of maintaining clarity and energy during stressful periods and how to keep teams engaged and hungry for success, especially when the pace is relentless. The conversation also delves into spotting potential in emerging talent, succession planning with intent and tailoring leadership approaches to individuals while still keeping everyone aligned to a shared purpose. They explore the leadership nuances between AFL and AFLW, the art of giving meaningful feedback and how to lead calmly and confidently when things go wrong. The episode wraps with the universal traits that define effective leaders and the core habits that consistently show up in top performers.
This is a rich, insightful conversation for anyone looking to elevate their leadership game, whether you're in the boardroom, leadership team or on the field.
12 Nov 2025
Leading with Compassion: Mental Health and Leadership in Focus
In Australia, 22% of people aged 16–85 experience a mental health disorder, whether anxiety, depression, or substance-related, within a single year (ABS & AIHW). In this special Movember episode, we explore what that means for leaders and workplaces today.
Host Chris Grant, Partner at Watermark Search, is joined by Hayden Fricke, Managing Director at Steople, psychologist, executive coach, and author of Compassion. Hayden shares what inspired his book and why now is the time to shape a more compassionate society.
We dive into:
How to think about mental health
Practical tips for improving mental wellbeing
Why leadership skills like listening and empathy matter in mental health conversations
The link between wellbeing and leadership effectiveness
Advice for new CEOs on psychological safety and vulnerability
Everyday actions leaders can take to create a culture that truly supports mental health
Hayden also reveals a personal mindset shift that changed his life and shares his hope for the future of mental health in society.
If you’re a leader, or aspire to be one, this episode offers insights and tools to help you lead with compassion and make a real difference.
28 May 2025
Navigating Client Loyalty: How Today’s Partners can Become Tomorrow’s Rainmakers
Host Robert Atkinson interviews Rory Channer and Pat Spenner about the decline of client loyalty in professional services, highlighting the "Activator" profile and strategies for enhanced client engagement.
9 Apr 2025
Demystifying Career Coaching in Your Executive Job Search and Through Pivotal Leadership Transitions
In this episode of the Watermark Search International Agile Leadership Lessons podcast, host Donna Burr dives into the world of career coaching for executives.
Joined by Renata Bernarde, Career Coach and host of The Job Hunting Podcast, and Peta Granger, Commercial Director at QBD Books and Non-Executive Director at the Women’s Circus, this episode demystifies career coaching and its pivotal role in executive job searches and leadership transitions.
Renata and Peta share their insights on why leaders often struggle with job searches and transitions, the unique value of career coaching, and how it differs from other forms of professional development. Through real-life experiences and practical advice, listeners will learn how career coaching can help them navigate their career paths, overcome stagnation, and develop leadership agility.
Whether you're in a career rut or considering professional development options, this episode offers valuable takeaways to help you move forward with confidence.
29 Jan 2025
Successful and Healthy Leaders: The Intersection of Wellbeing and Agility
In our first episode for 2025, we delve into the essential
aspects of maintaining mental and physical strength as a leader. Join Watermark’s Chris Grant, Partner in our Health and Human Services practices and guest speaker, Peter Dijkema. Peter is a separation coach, and seasoned leadership and executive coach with decades of experience across diverse settings, cultures and countries. As an ICF-certified coach and a Thrive-accredited practitioner, Peter brings a unique perspective to the intersection of personal and professional growth.
The episode starts with Peter’s top three takeaways to stay
mentally strong and then we explore the significant link between job satisfaction and overall health, discussing how both enjoying your work and engaging in meaningful work can positively impact both your physical and mental wellbeing. Our guest also opens up about his personal fitness routine and the best advice he’s received for staying fit and healthy.
The conversation then moves to the role of mateship and
relationships in wellbeing and how this contributes to you being a leader as well as key advice for executives on what to focus on for sustained wellbeing and longevity.
To wrap up, Peter shares his motivational mottos and
discusses the importance of mental and physical wellbeing, meaningful work, strong relationships, and continuous personal growth for leadership agility. Peter also suggests some great podcasts and books to further your thinking and
action on this topic.
If you are a leader looking to build resilience and foster a
healthy relationship with yourself and those around you, you will take a lot away from this episode.
23 Oct 2024
MASTERCLASS SERIES - Beyond the Payslip: Exploring the Deeper Benefits of Meaningful Work
Renee Burkinshaw, Founder and Director of Originate Coaching and Consulting unlocks the hidden treasures that lie beyond the payslip and speaks about:
Prosperity: The essential ingredients for organisational prosperity. She delves into the fascinating intersection of culture, wellbeing, inclusion, productivity, and sustainability.
Belonging and Meaning: Is it enough to clock in and collect a payslip? We think not! Renee explores the profound difference between merely being and true belonging at work. In today’s competitive landscape, attracting and retaining top talent hinges on understanding this distinction.
Purpose: Ever wondered about your life’s purpose? We’ve got you covered! Renee introduces her research on purpose-led inclusion. Learn how to be intentional in realising your purpose, both personally and professionally.
Actionable Tips: Ready to infuse your work with purpose? Renee gives practical strategies to kickstart your journey toward a more meaningful professional life.
26 Jun 2024
MASTERCLASS SERIES - Foresight Meets Strategy: Empowering Individuals and Executives for the Future
Join Watermark for the first episode in our Masterclass Series, where we turn our highly regarded interim webinars into podcast episodes.
This episode features futurist and author, Diana Wu David, and she unveils the exciting landscape of tomorrow.
Diana guides us through envisioning what lies ahead and offers insights on how these changes will impact each of us as individuals and as leaders within our organisations. With captivating real-world examples, she sheds light on the personal and professional applications.
An opportunity to expand your horizons and rethink your approach to the future.
13 Nov 2023
Part 2 - Mastering Leadership Agility: Lessons from a CEO and Board Director in Hospital, Health and Aged Care
In the highly anticipated Part 2 of "Mastering Leadership Agility: Lessons from a CEO and Board Director in Hospital, Health and Aged Care" your host, Jocelyn Santosa, Partner at Watermark Search International, is joined once again by the remarkable CEO, Chair, and Board Director in the healthcare, hospital, and aged
care sectors, Toby Hall.
This episode dives deep into different aspects of leadership in these critical fields. Together, they tackle essential questions such as:
Public vs. Private: Are there differences in working in these settings, and what key insights should individuals be aware of when operating in these unique environments?
The Transition Challenge: How difficult is it to transition from public to private, or vice versa? Discover the complexities of this shift and the skills required to succeed.
Boardroom Dynamics: Unravel the mysteries of boardroom leadership. Learn how to ensure that your leadership team is well-versed in key governance issues.
The Art of Board Membership: What qualities make an exceptional board member? Toby Hall shares invaluable insights on what it takes to excel in this role.
Board Selection: Explore due diligence strategies to employ before committing to a board position, ensuring it's the right fit for you.
Continuous Self-Reflection: Discover the importance of
self-reflection when choosing board roles, ensuring you make choices aligned with your values and goals.
Join Jocelyn Santosa and Toby Hall for a conversation for those navigating the ever-evolving healthcare landscape and the importance of leadership agility.
1 Nov 2023
Part 1 - Mastering Leadership Agility: Lessons from a CEO and Board Director in Hospital, Health and Aged Care
In this podcast episode, Jocelyn Santosa, Partner at Watermark Search specialising in health, human services and life sciences interviews Toby Hall. Toby is the former CEO of St. Vincent's Health Australia and Mission Australia as well as having a wide portfolio of Chair and Board roles including For Purpose Aged Care, Sana Health, UNICEF, Sterihealth, Working Links and Goodstart Early Learning.
Jocelyn and Toby have an engaging conversation covering topics including:
The key factors differentiating high performing Chief Executives and their leadership teams in Hospital, Health and Aged Care
Measuring the success of leaders and leadership teams working in this sector
How leaders can work on knowing themselves better
Listen to the full podcast below to gain insights and advice for current and future leaders.
17 Jul 2023
Private Equity – Business, leadership & high performing teams
Have you ever wondered about private equity and the experience of working with private equity? What do private equity firms look for in businesses? What do they look for in leaders? What is their operating rhythm?
David Evans, Managing Partner at Watermark Search, has extensive experience in this area and in this episode he chats to Mark Baldassarre, a highly accomplished leader in Private Equity. Mark brings over 25 years of private equity and international banking experience. He is deeply experienced in acquiring, integrating, and growing businesses, as well as providing strategic direction to company boards and management teams. Mark has looked at hundreds of private equity deals and has invested and exited in dozens.
David and Mark have a great chat explaining what private equity is and how it works. Mark then answers some interesting questions such as:
When looking to invest, what are the key things that you are looking for when you evaluate businesses?
What do you look for when you're assessing these businesses and the leaders? What is the difference between a good leadership team and average leadership team?
How have the good leaders reacted to external shocks and how have they got through the change? What are some standouts in your experience around some leaders that have navigated change?
What are the different operating rhythms that you partner with? What do you expect from them? How involved are you in the business? What are the board meetings like?
How do you support owner managers or leadership teams with getting the business ready for an exit?
Listen to the full podcast below to gain insights and advice for current and future leaders.
12 Sept 2022
How to increase your leadership agility
At Watermark Search, we believe that those with higher leadership agility have higher performance. We are passionate about supporting leaders reach this, helping them learn and giving them the opportunity to change, influence and increase their leadership agility. So how do we get we get data and science behind our philosophy and how can leaders use this data to enhance their own leadership journey?
To discuss this, we invited Peter Berry, Managing Director of Peter Berry Consultancy and Ryne Sherman, Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessment Systems to join us on this episode. Peter is a keynote speaker, facilitator and executive coach who specialises in leadership development, coaching, change management and business performance. Ryne is an expert on personality assessment, leadership and organisational effectiveness.
Our speakers defined leadership agility and answered some important questions:
What attributes do you need to be a successful leader and how does agility come into this?
What are the key attributes of leadership agility?
Can leadership agility be learned?
What is the science and data behind how we should be measuring a leader?
How important is it that leaders are aware of gaps in their personality and agility?
How can leaders identify these gaps and how can we help them improve on them?
How important is data in doing this?
What are the key takeaways for leaders trying to increase their leadership agility?
31 Jan 2022
Changing transformation priorities
As we enter different stages of this pandemic, we are seeing it effect individuals and businesses in different ways. Transformations are increasing and priorities have evolved. What was urgent and important at the start may no longer be as urgent and all of a sudden there are more pressing priorities. As a leadership cohort, how do we adapt, how do we lead and how do we engage with our teams in this fast-moving world?
Joining Watermark Search International's Managing Partner, David Evans, in our third episode is Natasha Moore, Partner in Charge of Transformational Program Management at KPMG, Amanda Cattermole, CEO of the Australian Digital Health Agency, and Kieran Duck a published author on transformation. All three leaders have led through major transformations recently; Amanda was at the forefront of changing a health system to respond to a pandemic, Kieran went through a four-year transformation at Essential Energy and had to constantly adapt and rework the program due to the changing market environment, and Natasha had to rethink how they engaged with risk and amend collaboration tools to deal with the new virtual world.
Our speakers discuss their organisation’s purpose, how their priorities evolved, how they, along with their teams, got through the transformational journeys by adapting, and about the effective processes and experiences that got leaders on board with the pace of this change. They also highlight what they have done and seen that has worked well to get their people to express an opinion and contribute during this change.
Listen to the full podcast below to gain insights and advice for current and future leaders.
24 Aug 2021
How do leaders and leadership teams respond to events that weren’t in the business plan?
At Watermark, we're advocates of the for purpose sector. Not only do we contribute as a firm, but we also appoint many executives in for purpose entities. In this episode we are joined by three leaders from some of Australia's best known for purpose entities to share some of their experiences.
Hosted by Watermark Search International's Managing Partner, David Evans. In this episode we're joined by; Colin Seery, CEO of Lifeline, who saw an increase of 30% in calls to the main crisis support service through the bushfires crisis and the COVID pandemic, Judy Slatyer, most recently the CEO of the Australian Red Cross, whose team had to quickly adapt from dealing with the devastation of the bushfires in early 2020 to managing COVID and the pandemic and Susannah Le Bron, CEO at the Y in New South Wales, (formerly known as the YMCA), who experienced the pandemic through a different lens, adapting to a crisis environment that directly impacted more than half of her organisation.
Our speakers discuss leadership agility, and how they adapted to an unprecedented crisis situation. Anticipating change, assessing new risks and the importance of setting clear principles to guide their organisations and their people through the crisis. And the day-to-day tactics they implemented to remain connected with their teams, their organisations purpose, and to ensure themselves and their teams were looking after each other from a personal and professional point of view.
Listen to gain their insights and advice for current and future leaders.
16 May 2021
How has this constantly evolving landscape impacted how we lead into the future?
How did you react to events in 2020 and how has this affected how you're looking to the future? Philip Holliday, William Cox, and Elizabeth Mildwater share their experiences.
Hosted by Watermark Search International's Managing Partner, David Evans. In this episode we're joined by; Philip Holliday, CEO of the NSW Ports Authority, whose team was deeply impacted by the events of 2020 reacting to the Ruby Princess (the cruise ship at the centre of one of Australia's largest coronavirus outbreaks), William Cox, CEO of Aurecon, who has a different perspective with his team of consultants who have seen all sorts of organisations evaluating their evolving requirements, and consequently how they must adapt their own business to support this changing landscape, and Elizabeth Mildwater, CEO of the Greater Sydney Commission, who has had to deal with changes in not only how we work but also how these events will impact us over the longer term.
Our speakers highlight the changes in opinions on flexible working, how some companies who offered flexible working prior to the pandemic have now actually gone backwards and require staff to be in the office 5 days a week, or companies who have foregone the office all together and have moved to a fully remote workforce. They discuss the 3/2 hybrid working split and their concerns for the more inexperienced employee's learning and development with reduced opportunities for face to face mentoring and guidance from more experienced team members. How will this effect the future workforce?
Listen to gain their insights and advice for current and future leaders.
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