Chief Executive Officer
The appointment of Professor Carolyn Sue AM
NeuRA
Chief Executive Officer
The Organisation
Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) is an independent, not-for-profit, medical research institute and one of the largest centres of research on the brain and nervous system in Australia. Located in its own dedicated research facilities on the Prince of Wales Hospital campus at Randwick, Sydney, NeuRA is recognised as an international leader in research, changing the face of investigation into diseases and disorders of the brain and nervous system, not just in Australia, but around the world.
The brief
In August of 2021 Professor Peter Schofield AO, the Chief Executive Officer of NeuRA, engaged Brooker Consulting to undertake a comprehensive global executive search to support the organisation to recruit the inaugural Kinghorn Chair in Neurodegeneration Research. The appointment was made possible through the generous support of the Kinghorn Foundation. They had made a five-year, multi-million dollar philanthropic commitment to support research work to discover and implement new therapeutic solutions to Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.
The Board’s brief was to find a candidate who would successfully develop and lead a program of research including clinical trials, the outcomes of which would lead to substantially improving the quality of diagnosis, treatment and/or care for one or more of the neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, the incumbent would build and direct a high calibre research group, mentor/supervise students and promote excellent academic performance including publication outputs and outcomes. The successful candidate would also have a history of outstanding grant support and internationally recognised research publications, as well as an exceptional record of successful industry and consumer engagement. In this leadership role they would be expected to build and foster a collaborative team culture aligned with NeuRA’s values, leading to world class academic and research outcomes in partnership with the University of New South Wales, Prince of Wales Hospital, the health care sector, industry and the community.
The process
Brooker Consulting undertook a targeted global search process, combined with a print and online media campaign. An extensive strategy was outlined and the campaign was launched by Brooker after a detailed briefing with key stakeholders. A comprehensive combination of external advertising and targeted executive search generated a global level of interest and a high-quality shortlist, despite the COVID restrictions in play during part of the process.
The outcome
Following eleven months of candidate identification, presentations and negotiations, Professor Carolyn Sue AM was confirmed by the Board as the successful candidate. Prof Sue is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and serves on the Council of the National Health and Medical Research Council. She also holds leadership roles at the Movement Disorder Society of Australia and New Zealand, the International Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorder Society and the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Medical Network. Professor Sue takes with her a team of over 20 clinical and research staff.
"I am thrilled to welcome Professor Sue into our research community. She brings a wealth of both clinical and research expertise and an acute focus on outcomes for the consumer. I anticipate a real acceleration of research results and commercial development of new therapeutics and I cannot thank the Kinghorn Foundation enough for creating such an opportunity."
The Board Chair,
Professor Peter Schofield
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Brooker Consulting is a prominent Australian talent acquisition and leadership advisory firm specialising in appointing interim and substantive CEOs, Board positions and C-suite executives. Our expertise spans the public and private sectors, with a strong focus on biotechnology, research, and health technology organisations.
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