Welcome to Cultivate

Cultivate exists to help people and organisations unlock the power of purpose to create positive change.

In business, we make great things happen – connecting values-led leaders with purpose-driven organisations.

We understand corporate life. We have been in the trenches, lived and breathed the challenges of leading people for more than 30 years. With over 20,000 interview hours and some 250 successful executive search assignments under our belt, we know what makes people tick.

We also believe a clear purpose is an organisation’s soul and identity. It is the catalyst to inspire more engaged employees, greater customer loyalty, successful innovation and transformation, while improving financial performance in a disruptive, changing and rapidly unpredictable business environment.

Not your average executive search

Our recruitment process is driven by purpose. We assess the skills, experience, mindset, values and personal attributes of a candidate and their alignment to the purpose and work culture of their desired organisation.

Disruption, change and unpredictability has a unique DNA that few understand. The cost and impact to your business of having the wrong person in the role is enormous.

In short, we source the best executive leadership for the role and the cause. The ones who lead with their head and heart and who stay longer and perform better.

Discover potential, align purpose

Cultivate works with executives to reach their full potential. We help them explore their true identity and understand their personal ‘why’, thus answering the age old question of ‘what on earth am I here for?

Living with purpose helps them align with organisations committed to making a positive difference to their people, culture, customers, and community.

We also co-create with other passionate experts in a living, breathing ecosystem, bringing ground-breaking solutions to the challenges our client and candidate community face.

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What We Believe

Cultivate is inspired by doing the right thing and keeping it real. Our values are principles that underpin, not only what we believe but more importantly, what we do and how we behave.

Wisdom

We have curious minds and an appetite for learning. We actively listen, seek the truth, and apply knowledge for positive impact.

Kindness

We believe in fairness, civility, and compassion. We serve with empathy and have a genuine desire to help our community.

Inclusion

We embrace diversity, respect opposing views and value equality for all. We have tolerance for others who speak their truth.

Character

We value character over charisma, build trust and seek to do what is right. We act with integrity, courage and determination.

Play

We enjoy what we do, don’t take ourselves too seriously, have fun and spread joy. We embrace the freedom to take risks and explore new ground.

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D O U G S P A H N

About the Founder

Doug Spahn is an executive search expert, CEO & leadership coach, and experienced executive career advisor, challenging leaders to stretch and achieve beyond their expectations. He identifies with people, is a strategic thinker, builds effective work cultures and grows sustainable businesses.

Establishing Cultivate has been a decades long dream for Doug and the culmination of a lifetime spent connecting with people.

The path to purpose

Doug started working life as a chartered accountant and has gone from bean counter to corporate leader to published author in a varied and rewarding career.

Throughout the last 30 years, Doug has led complex organisations, private and ASX-listed, in both Australia and Singapore. As a leader, he has built a reputation for inspiring his teams to achieve their personal best and deliver results.

Perhaps most importantly, Doug is a gifted, ‘potential spotter’. Helping people understand what makes them excellent and liberating their potential to lead more effective lives, both personally and professionally, is what motivates him.

Self-learning

A believer in self-growth, Doug’s personal development journey has seen him gain invaluable character-led leadership and effective behaviour experience.

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Franklin Covey
LSI/OCI Accreditation – Human Synergistics
Life Indicator Accreditation – Heartstyles
Situational Leadership Accreditation – Blanchard International
Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument - HBDI
Pathway to Manhood – Pathways Foundation
Presentation Mastery Program – rogenSi, now part of TTEC
MBTI Type Indicator Program - Myers Briggs

Doug is also a published author of ‘Eyes of Silence’, a personal story of life, love, and hope. Supporting the community of people affected by brain disease and mental disorders is close to his heart, having deep experience in both throughout his life.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”

— Henry David Thoreau

Cultivate Ecosystem

Our client and candidate community are at the heart of everything we do. Embracing diversity of thought and co-creating with other passionate experts inspires greater innovation, problem solving, and creativity. Ultimately, it leads to better outcomes for you.

Our ecosystem of talented thought leaders share our values and span a broad spectrum of services that include:

High performance psychology
Big-4 strategic advisory
Self-leadership and effective teams
Data insights consulting
High impact leadership

Culture and character development
Diversity and inclusion
Resilience and team care
Talent insights technology
Digital marketing

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