Exceptional leadership drives a business forward, shapes culture, and brings out the best in every team member. Our goal is to place leaders in values-led organisations where they can build on the vision and create lasting impact.

Executive Search

01

Our executive search process starts with deep understanding of your business and industry. This means a thorough discovery consultation with you to learn about your organisation, stakeholders, culture, vision, and what leadership style best suits your current team. We can tailor the search process to your needs, including a confidential or silent approach.

We work with you to define the role clearly , who you're looking for, who you'll attract, and why. From there, we map the market, assess your brief, and define what success looks like for the placement, both now and as the role develops.

02

We tap into our global network and proprietary database of 15,000+ to deliver bespoke shortlists for C-suite, executive, board, interim, and specialist roles.

Every candidate we put forward is carefully selected for their experience, values, and potential, including those not actively seeking new roles.

03

We facilitate interview rounds, guide the negotiations process, and support both you and your chosen candidate through onboarding and transition.

Our goal is long-term success, so we stay in touch to ensure the placement continues to deliver value.

Meet your executive search & recruitment partner
Patricia Powell-Hughes

Patricia Powell-Hughes is the founder and Managing Director of EP Australia. With over 30 years’ experience she connects organisations with exceptional talent while championing diversity, inclusion, and women’s empowerment.

A respected industry leader and advocate, Patricia has driven systemic change through board roles, judging panels, and initiatives, shaping opportunities for creatives and nurturing thriving careers across the sector.

Case Study

A new CEO for the flagship film studios in Western Australia

Read case study →

Recent placements

Our candidate database

Our proprietary candidate database is the result of 25 years of careful curation and specialist expertise in the creative industries. Constantly evolving, it gives your business access to a secure, highly specialised network of talent that has been hand-selected and assessed by our team.

Unlike generic databases, every candidate we represent has been evaluated by our experienced recruitment team, ensuring they are matched to the right roles and organisations. We never sell or share data. Our network is exclusive to our partners, giving you confidence that the people we put forward are exceptional, values-aligned, and ready to make an impact.

Note - Candidate image & details are examples only.

Submit your resume →

Why the best leaders are in our network

  • Creative industry specialists

    We know the creative industries inside-out. We understand the necessary leadership capabilities that drive real impact and innovation in these fast-moving sectors.

  • Tailored approach to search

    Our approach to search is strategic and precise. We’re not looking to fill the role and call it a day. Our focus is on attracting and placing high-performance leaders who align with your culture, live your values and bring the right skills to the role.

  • Unmatched global network

    We’ve built a proprietary database of hand selected candidates and 25 years of trusted relationships across the creative industries. We find and place leaders who are actually right for the role, even those not actively looking.

  • End to end partnership

    EP Australia acts as your executive search partner, ensuring you and your candidates get the best outcome. Our team stays closely involved post-placement to ensure a smooth transition, cultural alignment, and long-term success.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Our suite of search and strategy services are designed to help businesses build strong leadership, embrace innovation, and future-proof their teams. We offer three core service areas:

    • C-Suite & Executive search

    • Specialist creative industries recruitment

    • Strategic consulting for business development

  • We work with organisations in the creative, media, entertainment, sport, and games sectors - ranging from independent studios, and not-for-profits to global media companies, cultural institutions and government funding bodies.

  • We use a proven, consultative approach tailored to every role, starting with deep discovery, cultural alignment, market mapping, and targeted outreach, through to interview facilitation, offer negotiation, and onboarding support.

    With over 25 years of experience in the creative economy, our point of difference comes from a true passion and understanding of the industries we serve. We prioritise long-term fit, leadership potential, and team culture instead of box ticking.

  • We place C-Suite & executive level leadership, board members, management, industry specialists, and across permanent, contract, and project-based roles through our executive search process. We also offer succession planning and interim executive placements.

From Our Clients

  • "I've known and worked with EP Australia for 12+ years. As CFO at Chugg Entertainment, I brought her in to guide us through organisational change, and her facilitation helped us understand our culture and how to motivate our people. She is a calm negotiator, a voice of reason, and a champion of diversity and women in business. I'm very thankful for her mentoring and career advice."

    — Renee Bryant, CFO Screenrights

  • "EP Australia gave me confidence that this CEO appointment was being handled with the highest standards of rigour and integrity. The process was consistently clear with open, honest communication. I felt thoroughly briefed and well supported at every stage."

    — Tom Avison, CEO Perth Film Studios

  • EP Australia was appointed to conduct the search for the CEO of the newly funded national Indigenous television, went on to design the organisational structure to support the Board, CEO and Government vision, and recruited 70 key positions across the organisation."

    — Phillipa McDermott, Director of First Nations Talent, Deloitte Australia; Chair, Bangarra Dance Theatre

  • "I've worked with EP Australia for over 15 years, across Matchbox Pictures, Fremantle, Netflix and the ABC. They’ve run specialised recruitment and executive search over the years across multiple organisations and roles. Their knowledge of the sector is unmatched, and they consistently deliver."

    — Chris Oliver-Taylor, CEO Greenlight Media & Co-Founder MasterKey Pacific

Let’s find your next “completely changed the game for our team”

Work with us

Secure exceptional creative leadership for your team, your stories deserve it

Find your next leader who delivers impact and innovation for the creative industries

Let's talk