I help Strategy and Transformation Leaders build teams that thrive by placing the very best candidates in the Australian market with them.
 
🎙Proud host of "Strategy Bites Podcast", Australia's only dedicated podcast to the Strategy Industry.

Spotify -https://open.spotify.com/show/73xrZi9mk7R10q0vj4EugL

Strategy Leaders
✔️Do you want to attract the top 10% in the top tier to your business?
✔️Would you prefer to interview just a few excellent candidates instead of wasting your time meeting multiple unsuitable candidates?
✔️Do you want your recruiter to produce a diverse shortlist of candidates?

Management Consultants
🌟Are you interested in exploring the market but don’t know where to start?
🌟Do you want your recruiter to be extremely well connected and also offer career coaching, full interview preparation, and be skilled in salary negotiation?
🌟Do you want to use a recruiter that is endorsed by many of your peers?

If so, you are not alone as this describes most of my contacts at some point in their careers and as I have been recruiting strategy management consultants since 2000 I have worked with many.

This is why in 2019 I launched Oaktree Talent alongside my business partner Ilan Leshetz. We have helped hundreds of clients connect with expert consultants, many from McKinsey, Bain or BCG, and as a result, their businesses have excelled.

•	We head-hunt globally leaving no stone unturned
•	We find candidates that no one else has access to 
•	Our candidates and clients often work exclusively with us
•	We coach every candidate through the recruitment process
•	We have access to more clients than anyone else 
•	We go the extra mile to supply diverse shortlists
•	We take a long-term approach to all our relationships

Don’t take my word for it, scroll to the bottom of my Linked in page to read 70+ endorsements from your peers.

Please contact me if you are interested in recruiting strategy candidates for permanent or interim opportunities - anika@oaktreetalent.com

What do PE-backed companies actually need in a Strategy & Transformation Lead? I had a conversation last week with a newly hired CEO of a PE-backed portfolio company. He’s barely got his feet under the desk, and already the pressure’s on to deliver results, yesterday.

He said, “I don’t need an ex-consultant who’s just smart and good at making pretty slide decks. I need someone who can get sht done.”

That said, he still rated the MBB toolkit highly. Essentially, he wanted both.
And fair enough.

Given how often I hear from transitioning MBB consultants that they’d be a great fit for a PE-backed PortCo, I thought this one was worth sharing.

Because here's the thing, strategy and transformation in a PortCo context isn’t about blue-sky thinking or crafting five-year roadmaps. It’s about impact. Fast. And under pressure.

👉 They need someone who can:

Hit the ground sprinting (Hint: it’s not someone who needs 3 months to ‘get up to speed’)

Influence tough stakeholders, even the ones who don’t want to be influenced

Prioritise ruthlessly when everything feels urgent

Drive real change, not just recommend it

Yes, intellect matters. But in these environments, EQ, resilience and serious execution chops matter more.

If you’re hiring for a role like this, or thinking about stepping into one, ask yourself:

Can they roll up their sleeves, read the room, and deliver under fire?

Because that’s the bar.

Anika Stokes ✅

🎙️ Helping ex-Management Consultants land senior roles across industry, consulting & interim | Co-Founder: Future State Consulting & Oaktree Talent Group | Host, Strategy Bites Podcast🎙️

Sharks. Sirens. And risk appetite in real time.
Sunrise at Manly this morning. The Bold & Beautiful crew were mid-swim when the shark alarm went off.

Two sharks spotted off the Corso. Everyone out.

About 95% got out immediately. A small group carried on. Ignored the lifesaver on the jet ski. Determined to finish the swim.

Same information. Same ocean. Very different reactions.

It genuinely made me curious. Why do some people double down?

A few fascinating stats:

• 30 to 40% of risk tolerance is thought to be genetic
• Men take significantly more physical risks than women across most studies
• Once we commit to a goal, we’re far more likely to ignore new risk information
• We consistently underestimate low probability risks when we feel in control

For context, Australia averages roughly 2-3 fatal shark deaths per year. Road deaths? Over 1,300.

But this year in New South Wales, shark incidents are up compared to recent years. Multiple attacks along the coast have made the threat feel far more real.

Swimming off Australian shores always carries some background risk. But when a siren goes off, and a jet ski is waving you in, that’s no longer background risk. That’s a live decision.

In business, we see the same thing play out.

Most leaders recalibrate when new information appears.

A few push on.

Think Kodak. Think Blockbuster.

So… are you usually the 95% or the 5%?

“Too senior for this contract.” Not the feedback you want to hear when you know you can do the project.

I’ve had a few conversations like this recently with very strong senior operators exploring interim roles.

The permanent recruitment market is still tight at the top end. Fewer large transformation mandates are getting signed off.  Plenty of high-calibre talent available. So naturally, people look at shorter, slightly more junior contracts to keep momentum.

On paper, it makes perfect sense. In reality, clients often hesitate.

When a business hires an interim, the majority of clients are fixing an immediate delivery problem. They don’t need high-level strategic gravitas. They need hands-on output. Quickly.

Here’s what tends to sit in the back of their minds when presented with an "overqualified" interim consultant:

🔹 Flight risk. Will they leave the moment a bigger mandate or permanent role appears?
 🔹 Rate creep. If they prove indispensable, will the day rate conversation resurface mid-project?
 🔹 Ego clash. How comfortable will the reporting line feel managing someone who’s operated at the Board level?
 🔹 Team balance. Does dropping a very senior person onto the tools disrupt the dynamic?
 🔹 Engagement risk. Will they genuinely lean into the detail, or quietly disengage?
 🔹 Coaching friction. Are they open to doing it this company’s way, not the way they’ve always done it?

These aren’t unreasonable concerns. In lean teams, on critical programmes, a misfire in an interim seat hurts fast.

That said, we recently placed someone who was labelled “overqualified” into a short term contract, and they absolutely delivered.

The client just needed reassurance. Clear scope. Clear guardrails. A shared understanding that this was a delivery role, not a shadow CEO position.

It’s become one of their strongest interim hires.

Sometimes seniority plus humility plus clarity on expectations is a powerful combination.

If you’re going for interim roles slightly below your previous level, address the unspoken questions upfront.

Reassure on commitment and finishing the job. Be explicit about why the scope genuinely interests you. Signal that you still enjoy the detail and getting your hands dirty.

Often, the hesitation has very little to do with capability.

#InterimStrategyJobs

This weekend, a bunch of us fitness lovers took over Manly Corso for Manly Wellness Weekend.

Yoga. Breathwork. Cycle. And then us… the grand finale. A 45-minute free Zumba class right in the middle of the Corso.

Year on year, we do this in blazing heat, random wind gusts, occasional rain, and we still get loads of locals jumping in. Tourists too. There is something quite magic about watching people go from “I’ll just stand at the back and observe” to full hip action within two songs.

For me, dancing is my zen. It is how I shake off the week. No interviews. No emails. Just music and movement.

And it turns out it is doing more than lifting your mood.

A few things that fascinate me about dancing:
• Dancing lights up multiple areas of the brain at once. Memory, coordination, rhythm and spatial awareness all firing together.
 • Studies have shown regular dancing is linked to a significantly lower risk of dementia compared to many other forms of exercise. It challenges the brain to learn, adapt and remember sequences.
 • It improves balance and reaction time which becomes more important as we age.
 • It boosts serotonin and endorphins which is a much nicer way of saying you walk out happier than you walked in.
 • Group dance strengthens social connection, and strong social connection is one of the biggest predictors of long-term wellbeing.

It is cardio, cognitive training and community all wrapped into one slightly sweaty but fun package.

What I love most though, is the spirit. Different ages. Different backgrounds. Zero judgement. Just music and movement in the sunshine.

If you have ever thought, “I have two left feet” I promise you, nobody cares.
We are at Manly School Hall on Victoria Parade every Saturday at 10am. 

Come and try. 

Dee Bee Zumba is the best and most welcoming Zumba instructor there is. Worst case, you get a good laugh. Best case, you find your own version of zen.

And if nothing else, your brain will thank you.

DM me for details if you are keen!💃👯‍♀️💃👯‍♀️

The women who make you raise the bar. 
Over the last few years hosting Strategy Bites, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with some phenomenal female leaders.

Many started their careers at MBB. Today they’re CEOs, Board members, founders, and senior executives shaping major organisations.

And I’ll admit, during some of those conversations I’ve just sat there a bit in awe.

Not only because of the careers they’ve built. But because of everything else they carry alongside it.

Many have raised families while building demanding careers. Others have navigated relocations, personal challenges, or moments where the path forward wasn’t obvious. A number of them openly admit it hasn’t been easy.
But they kept going.

What I appreciate most is their honesty. None of them pretend the journey is perfectly balanced or neatly packaged. Instead, they share the real stories. 

The trade-offs. The doubts. The lessons they wish someone had told them earlier.

And importantly, they’ve taken the time to share that wisdom so others coming through consulting and industry can learn from it.

That generosity matters.

On International Women’s Day, I just want to say thank you to the brilliant women who have joined me on the podcast and trusted me with their stories.

Your careers are impressive. Your honesty is even more powerful.

You are helping the next generation see what’s possible.

Happy International Women’s Day.

And to the women building ambitious careers while juggling a thousand other things… I see you. 💪✨

Leah Balter, Leah Weckert, Katrina Barry, Diane Smith-Gander AO, Tennealle O'Shannessy, Deanne Stewart, Fiona Hayes-St Clair, Melanie Kansil, Stevie-Ann Dovico, Rushika Handa, Danielle Handley, Roseanna Leddy, Olya Rudenko, Mailys Pauletto, Wendy Mackay, Aliza Knox, Sophie Hayek,Anna Podolsky, Lucy Wark, Liana Downey, Dr Lili Sussman, Amanda Price, Gill McLaren, Jean Hayden, Asha Walsh

To listen to any of these amazing women's stories, head to the Strategy Bites podcast.

Since launching Future State Consulting, I’ve been asking CEOs and Execs a simple question: What actually makes a great interim consultant?

Not the polished CV version. The real version.

Here’s what keeps coming up, from clients and from my team.

The best interims:

 • Do what they say they’ll do and see the contract through
 • Treat the role like it’s their permanent job and give it 100 percent. (And not juggle two gigs and hope no one notices)
 • Have operated in big corporates and smaller, messier businesses and can adjust their style accordingly
 • Bring solid local experience, not just offshore credentials
 • Return calls. Are easy to deal with. Stay professional even when they do not “need” a new gig at that exact time.
 • Speak to everyone with respect and empathy, from Board to frontline.

Commercially, they are grown ups.

They do not turn every rate discussion into a standoff. They do not move the goalposts mid-contract. They understand market dynamics and price accordingly.

Operationally, they are sleeves rolled up.
If the role requires detail, they do the detail. If something is boring but necessary, they get it done. No drama.

And they get the interim game.
They keep their interview skills sharp. They start networking months before they need the next mandate. They recognise the value of recruiters but also take responsibility for building their own pipeline.

Most of all, they can handle ambiguity and leave their ego at the door.
Interim is not just a holding pattern. It is a craft.

Curious to hear from other Execs. What separates a good interim from a great one?

Last year, 1/3rd of the interim consultants we placed ended up accepting a permanent role with the business they initially joined on contract.

Not because that was always the plan from day one.

Because once both sides started working together, the fit became obvious.
More clients are deliberately using this “try before you buy” approach for strategy and transformation roles, and it makes a lot of sense.

➡️It reduces the risk of a bad hire

Hiring the wrong person is expensive. Some studies estimate the cost at up to 30% of the person’s annual salary once you factor in lost productivity, team disruption, training, and replacement costs.
When a role feels urgent, the temptation is to rush. That is often when mistakes happen.

A contract model allows you to bring capability into the business immediately without lowering the hiring bar.

➡️You see performance in the real world

Interviews tell you what someone says they can do.
Interim work shows you what they actually do.
Clients get to see how someone operates in real projects, how they influence stakeholders, and how they handle ambiguity. After a few months, the decision about a permanent offer becomes much clearer.

➡️It helps candidates assess the business too

The model works both ways.

Many high-calibre strategy professionals also want to understand the culture, leadership, and pace of a business before committing long-term. This is particularly true for organisations that may not yet have a big brand in the strategy market.

Once they are inside the business, building relationships and delivering impact, they often decide they want to stay.

In fact, some of the candidates we have placed would never have taken the role as a permanent position at the start. The interim route created the opportunity.

Most conversions happen within two to three months once both sides have seen enough.

If you have an urgent strategy or transformation role but want to take the time to get the permanent hire right, this model can work extremely well.

If you are considering it, Rachel Quick or I would be very happy to talk it through.

#InterimStrategyJobs #FutureStateConsulting

"If you want to be the star, make your whole team the star.”
This was the advice given to Katrina Barry, ex-McKinsey & Company and now Group CEO of Webjet, by Leah Balter, also ex-McKinsey & Company and now EGM at Wesfarmers.

Two extraordinary careers. Not built on ego. Built on teams.

In consulting, especially early on, you’re wired to stand out.

Sharp slides. Smart comments. Be the one with the answer.

But leadership flips the equation.

The best CEOs and MDs I work with aren’t trying to look impressive in the room. They’re building rooms full of impressive people.

The shift from
“How do I shine?”
to
“How do I create an environment where others shine?”
is the whole game.

And here’s the uncomfortable bit for ambitious consultants eyeing the C-suite:

Being the smartest person in the room is not the job.
Building a team that consistently delivers without you being the hero is.

The leaders who go the distance are brilliant at three things:
• Hiring people better than them
• Creating clarity so everyone knows what “great” looks like
• Stepping back enough to let others win

If you want to be a CEO one day, start practising that now. On your current project. With your current team.

Make them the stars.

Your own trajectory tends to sort itself out when you do.

To listen to the full episode of this Strategy Bites podcast, click the link in the comments.

WE ARE HIRING: Recruitment Consultant- Strategy & Management Consulting focus- Permanent Desk
We do not hire often. And when we do, it is because demand is outpacing capacity.

We are a team of nine. Small by design. High performing by nature. Every single person here runs a strong desk. No passengers.

This is a newly created role, but not a cold start. It is a warm desk built off sustained demand in strategy and management consulting. A true 360 role, but many of the opportunities come to us. That is the benefit of two founders who have spent a combined 50 years recruiting in this niche and are deeply embedded in the market.

The environment:
• Two days in the city, three from home
• Mature, grown-up culture
• High trust, high standards
• No micromanagement

What we are looking for:
• Highly ambitious. You want to be exceptional, not average
• Open to learning new ways of working
• Curious about using technology and AI to elevate your game
• Consultative in style. You build long term relationships, not quick transactions

We are known for taking good consultants and making them great. If you are already solid but know you have another level in you, this could be your move.

If this sounds like you, or someone you respect, send me a message.
Let’s build something serious.

🚀Top interim strategy talent currently available
The interim market is heating up again. Private equity firms, corporates and boutique consulting firms are all looking for experienced strategy and transformation talent they can bring in quickly.

Rachel Quick and I have been speaking to some exceptional candidates recently. Many are ex-consultants who are either career interim operators or between permanent opportunities and open to the right interim engagement.

Because our permanent search team is constantly meeting new ex-consulting talent, we often register candidates who had not even considered interim before. That means we have access to people who are not circulating widely in the interim market.

Here are just some of the talent we are seeing right now. 

Different backgrounds, different firms, different day rates, but all high calibre operators who can add value quickly.

If you need strategy or transformation capability at short notice, get in touch with Rachel Quick or me.

Sometimes the right person is available right now.

#FutureStateConsulting #InterimStrategyTalent

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