In 2023 CCWA faced a pivotal moment. Feedback from numerous member groups indicated growing concern that the organisation’s focus had narrowed primarily towards climate change at the expense of core nature conservation issues, like biodiversity protection, wetlands and forest management​.

Additionally, there were calls for stronger consultation with member groups, improved governance, enhanced transparency, and more collaborative internal leadership.

NGO Recruitment was engaged to search for a new Executive Director who could refocus the organisation’s efforts towards a broader conservation agenda, strengthen relationships with stakeholders, and lead CCWA’s strategic direction ensuring a consultative, transparent culture.

NGO Recruitment studied the feedback from CCWA’s members and developed a role description that emphasised a leader with strong emotional intelligence, high-impact advocacy skills, strategic and operational leadership experience, and a commitment to biodiversity and nature protection in WA​.

As predicted by NGO Recruitment, candidates with this combination of skill sets, competencies and cultural alignment were going to be scarce. The search and outreach process attracted 72 applicants, with a short list of three highly-qualified candidates.

The prioritised candidates were those who demonstrated collaborative management style, strong stakeholder engagement experience, and a proven record of representing environmental organisations in WA.

The successful candidate, Jess Beckerling, had a deep understanding of Western Australia’s unique biodiversity challenges, and embodied the collaborative, transparent, and values-driven leadership style.