Retained executive search for CIO, CTO, CDO, CPO and senior technology leadership. We partner with boards, investors and CEOs across Australia on the appointments that determine whether transformation delivers.
Executive Search
Technology
leadership
search.
We place the senior technology executives who shape how businesses operate, compete, and grow. Every search is founder-led by a specialist in the function being hired.
- CIO, CTO, CDO, CPO and VP-level appointments
- PE-backed, ASX-listed and high-growth technology businesses
- Built around the brief, not the database
- Retained process. Founder-led delivery.
Roles we cover
What we search
Each specialism is covered by a founder who operates in that domain day-to-day. That depth is what allows us to assess candidates on context, trajectory and what they have actually delivered.
Chief Information Officer
Enterprise technology leaders who align IT strategy with business transformation, manage complex stakeholder environments and deliver at scale. The CIO brief has shifted significantly in the last five years. We scope for the leader the business needs in three years, not the one that matches the current org chart.
Chief Technology Officer
Engineering and platform leaders who balance technical rigour with pace, including those leading AI strategy and platform modernisation. We scope for operators who can influence teams and deliver commercially, because that is what most CTO briefs actually need.
Chief Data Officer
Data and AI leaders who build organisations that create measurable value from data assets. From enterprise data strategy through to AI adoption and deployment, we scope CDO searches around the operating model the business is building towards.
Chief Product Officer
Product leaders who understand revenue and can connect product decisions to customer outcomes. Able to operate at board level, align cross-functional teams and drive product-led growth.
Chief AI Officer
AI leaders who connect strategy to commercial outcomes. We find executives who build AI capability that creates real operating leverage for the business.
VP and Head of Engineering
Senior engineering leaders who scale delivery capability, modernise platforms and build environments where strong technical talent performs and stays.
Hire technology executives who actually move the needle
Our approach
How we run a technology executive search
Most search failures start before the search begins. We invest in getting the brief right before we move, then we move fast
01
Brief and scope
We meet the key stakeholders, pressure-test the role scope, reporting structure and success measures. If the brief is wrong, we say so before we start.
02
Market mapping
We map the relevant market properly. Deep networks across technology, product and data built over years of specialist focus in Sydney and the broader Australian market.
03
Candidate engagement
Once we have calibrated with you, we approach with specificity and credibility. Senior candidates assess representation as much as the role. We protect your brand and give candidates a reason to take the conversation seriously.
04
Process and close
Slow searches lose strong candidates. We run tight processes, manage the narrative throughout, and close with conviction on both sides.
Clients
Who we work with
The clients who get the most from us are the ones who want to be challenged on the brief before we run with it.
Private equity and investors
Technology leadership aligned to the investment thesis, from diligence through to exit readiness. We understand what a portfolio business needs at each stage of the value creation cycle and move accordingly.
Boards and CEOs
We partner with boards and CEOs across Australia on technology executive search for CIO, CTO, CDO and CPO appointments, from scoping the role through to closing the hire.
ASX-listed businesses
Technology transformation at ASX scale, where governance and credibility matter as much as delivery. We know how to navigate the environment and find leaders who do too.
High-growth and scaling businesses
Moving from founder-led to structured leadership is one of the highest-risk transitions a technology business makes. We help founders and CEOs get the first leadership hires right.
Support
FAQs
Common questions about how we work, how we price, and what makes Innova different from a traditional search firm.
What does a retained technology executive search cost in Australia?
We work on a retained basis, with the fee structured in three stages: one-third on engagement, one-third on shortlist delivery, and one-third on successful appointment. Fees for CIO, CTO and CDO-level searches in Australia are calculated as a percentage of the total first-year remuneration package and scoped based on the complexity of the search, the seniority of the role and the market we are working in. Contact us for a specific conversation.
How long does a CIO or CTO search take?
A well-scoped executive search typically takes 8 to 12 weeks from brief to accepted offer. The biggest variable is not the search itself but the quality of the brief and the speed of the client’s decision-making. We invest heavily upfront to reduce delays later.
What is the difference between retained and contingent executive search?
Retained search means we are exclusively engaged and the fee is structured in stages, with a commitment from both sides from day one. Contingent search means multiple firms compete and the fee is payable on placement only. The retained model means both parties have skin in the game: the client is committed to the process, and we are committed to the outcome. For senior technology leadership roles, that mutual commitment consistently produces stronger results because it allows proper scoping, market mapping and genuine candidate engagement.
What roles does Innova Search cover at the executive level?
CIO, CTO, CDO, CPO, Chief AI Officer, Chief Transformation Officer, VP and Head of Engineering, and equivalent senior technology leadership roles. Every search is led by a founder who specialises in that function, not a generalist consultant covering multiple disciplines.
How is an executive search different from recruitment?
Executive search is a retained, research-led process. We map the relevant market, identify and engage candidates who are typically not actively looking, and manage the process end to end. Recruitment is generally reactive, working from applications and databases. At the CIO and CTO level, the best candidates are almost never on the market. They have to be found, engaged with credibility and given a compelling reason to have a conversation.
Why do senior technology leadership searches fail?
Most fail before the search begins. The brief is wrong, the stakeholders are not aligned on what the role actually needs, or the role has been scoped around a job description rather than the commercial outcome. We pressure-test all of this before we start. The other common failure is process. Slow decision-making, poor candidate experience and weak narrative around the opportunity lose strong candidates to businesses that move with more conviction.
