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Screen Australia narrows search for CEO

The quest to find a new CEO to take charge of Screen Australia is in its final stages.

The agency’s board has settled on a preferred candidate after an exhaustive search via head-hunters Braithwaite Steiner Pretty Executive Search, IF understands.

The other 90 or so applicants who were interviewed by the head-hunters have been told they were unsuccessful.

The board’s nominee has to be referred to the Arts Minister Tony Burke, who is expected to seek Cabinet approval before an appointment is made.

The current chief executive Ruth Harley, whose term expires in November, informed staff earlier this month she is no longer a candidate, stating, “The Board believes that the organisation should have a CEO who is new to the agency to lead the next phase."

Subsequently Screen Australia chairman Glen Boreham told staff the process for appointing the CEO was "progressing to schedule" and he expects to make an announcement in the next few months.

There has been a groundswell of support for Dr Harley among sections of the screen industry who feel that the way the process is being handled has been needlessly harsh on her.

IF understands the name of the preferred candidate has been circulated to the Government and to the Opposition.

The board is thought to be keen to expedite the appointment despite the turmoil in Canberra in the lead-up to the September election, acknowledging the need to end the uncertainty and to ensure a seamless transition from Dr Harley to her successor.

The board began the search in April on the assumption that the successful candidate may need to give his or her current employer 2-3 months’ notice. The timing of the September election wasn’t a consideration.

Suggestions that, if elected, shadow Arts Minister Senator George Brandis may call for a review of Screen Australia’s remit have been discounted. Brandis was in power when the decision was made to create the agency from the merger of the Film Finance Corp., the Australian Film Commission and Film Australia. It’s believed he has assured industry leaders he sees no need to alter the current federal funding structure.
 

  1. How many really good leaders can you think of in the creative industries over the last twenty or thirty years? A theatre director here, a librarian there, maybe a union official. A few in the bigger businesses like television. But in all the companies, organisations, government bodies only one or two chairs or ceos stand out, but the general level of leadership has been disappointing especially in the public sector. Is it because the whole industry has a problem and there is a lack of good senior managers or because there’s something wrong with the selection process.

  2. Screen Australia has been unable to be transparent since Dr Harley took the job and being funded by screen australia I can assure you that there was absolutely no support from start to finish. Screen Australia still has a long way to go and hopefully the chosen candidate will take our industry into a new appreciation for Australian content that doesn’t just rely on the same old people getting the hand outs. Here’s hoping that the new CEO actually wants to listen to the industry instead of ignoring it.

    Without disrespect, Ruth Harley should have spent more time listening to the complaints and acting on those than listening to the boys club and we could have actually gone somewhere. Ross Matthews should be the next to go and then we might get our industry back in order and moving into the place it should have been 10 years ago.

  3. Just an update on my last email.. Wow, Martha Coleman and Ross Matthews gone.. Dreams really do come true.

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