Challenge

Macquarie Capital combines specialist expertise, innovative advice, and flexible capital solutions to help their clients and partners make each opportunity a reality. Macquarie engaged North Search to assist in building the SPV team for the delivery of Australia’s first commercial Waste to Energy (WtE) plant. The client was in search of a Technical Director with recent experience in developing and delivering a thermal power project - ideally located in Australia. If possible, the successful candidate would have some experience in WtE. 

The main challenge with this brief was in identifying recent project experience due to the lack of new Australian power projects over the last 15 years. Most candidates with the right level of experience tended to sit within retirement age or lived overseas. In addition to being highly technical, candidates were required to have the ability to drive project delivery and the professionalism to report to the investment bank.

Strategy

The mandate set out by Macquarie Capital dictated a wide search, both locally and internationally. Using technology and networks, North Search identified a broad range of candidates and worked with Macquarie collaboratively over time to understand the market and availability of suitable candidates. As the project scope developed, North Search was able to direct the search in line with the priorities of the project.

Result

Through an extensive search and analysis of candidates, utilising our executive and technical search process available here, we acquired the services of a Project Director responsible for delivering two temporary Open-Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) built in South Australia to combat the major summer blackouts recently experienced.

Despite specific WtE experience being absent, this candidate understood the demands of delivering power projects in Australia and had sophisticated stakeholder management experience in dealing with the South Australian Government.

North Search placed the SPV Commercial Director on the same project.