Organisational Transformation in 2025: A New Year of Opportunities
The business transformation landscape shows encouraging signs of revival as we move ahead in 2025, with increased investment in major change programmes across ASX-listed companies and private equity firms. Following a period focussed on operational stability, organisations are now positioning themselves for strategic transformation initiatives that will drive competitive advantage. With this comes rewarding career opportunities for experienced delivery specialists.
Market Recovery and Strategic Focus
Since July last year, we have observed a month-over-month increase of 10-15% in roles at the project and program level. The final quarter of 2024 showed strong indications of a turning point in the market, with Allura Partners experiencing a 57% surge in roles.
Major financial institutions – renowned for being key indicators for broader market change – began reinvigorating their transformation programmes, creating momentum that is expected to accelerate into the second quarter.
This uplift was evident in the contracts market, where we observed an increase in demand for transformation specialists among clients in the FMCG, insurance, superannuation, and healthcare sectors, as well as boutique consultancies. Having held off on major projects due to uncertain economic conditions, these organisations look ready for action.
Additionally, ASX-listed organisations that responded to the uncertainty by restructuring and reducing senior leadership headcounts last year are notably preparing for change and growth by rebuilding their teams.
We anticipate this activity will result in significant opportunities for candidates looking to make a move over the next 6 to 12 months.
Factors Driving Change
Key factors are driving key transformation priorities for 2025. Major SAP implementations are gaining urgency as organisations prepare for the 2027 support deadline. Additionally, risk and regulatory programmes, finance transformations, and ERP/CRM implementations, particularly Salesforce, are key drivers for change in 2025.
Evolving Skill Requirements
In today’s challenging market, candidates often wonder how to refine and niche their profiles. While many pursue additional qualifications, we’ve observed that clients are placing greater emphasis on a more targeted approach and well-defined skill sets. Feedback from our clients and our own interactions highlight that even senior-level candidates find it difficult to clearly articulate their methodology for project or program delivery.
The market is particularly seeking candidates who can demonstrate:
Multi-functional transformation experience combined with the ability to engage and manage senior stakeholders while also motivating the project team,
Proficiency in both project and product delivery methodologies, supported by change management expertise, and
Process improvement capabilities paired with strategic thinking and hands-on delivery experience.
While certifications maintain their value, organisations increasingly prioritise proven delivery capabilities over sector-specific knowledge. The most sought-after candidates demonstrate versatility and on-the-ground capability across multiple disciplines.
Transformation leaders with a clear approach to managing challenging projects, especially turnaround programmes, have become particularly valuable in the current market. Additionally, project managers who can articulate exactly how they will contribute to change management, process improvement, and strategic initiatives, delivering day-to-day results, are in high demand.
ASX-Listed or Private Equity?
For transformation leaders planning their next career move, ASX-listed and private equity firms offer distinct opportunities with unique advantages. ASX-listed organisations typically provide more structured, larger-scale, longer-term transformation programmes with opportunities to work across multiple business units. These employers typically look for seasoned candidates with proven leadership and stakeholder management experience, often in multiple sectors and working across diverse projects and products.
Private equity environments offer particularly dynamic challenges and accelerated career progression opportunities. These include fast-paced, results-driven transformations with clear objectives, valuable exposure to integration and separation projects, and ongoing opportunities across portfolio companies. Additionally, depending on the role, short- or long-term financial incentives are often available.
For those interested in private equity opportunities, experience in separations, integrations, or merger activities is particularly valuable. Building networks within the private equity community and understanding the unique dynamics of private equity-backed transformations can create significant opportunities, and this is something that Allura Partners helps candidates to acquire.
Allura Partners works across both markets with a top-down approach. We place Chief Transformation Officers, General Managers of Transformation, and Program Directors, fostering relationships at the senior level. This positions us as a trusted recruitment partner for project and technology team buildouts.
The Value of Deep Partnerships
Regardless of whether we’re looking to find solutions for ASX or PE environments, the complexity of modern transformation initiatives demands a sophisticated approach to talent acquisition.
Rather than finding candidates for roles or roles for candidates, we cultivate long-term relationships with both organisations and transformation leaders. Our consultants invest time in understanding not just the technical requirements but also the specific challenges, stakeholder dynamics, and cultural context of each organisation.
Equally, they invest in building a deep understanding of each candidate’s capabilities, technical know-how, delivery style, and career aspirations. Armed with this knowledge, we can offer strategic opportunities that diversify their experience and build broader, more versatile skill sets.
Looking Ahead
Hiring today looks very different than it did just two years ago – for recruiters, businesses and candidates alike, whether they are passively or actively exploring opportunities.
Success requires strategic thinking, practical delivery capabilities, and the ability to adapt across different transformation types and industry contexts. Candidates who demonstrate adaptability, strategic thinking, and strong delivery capabilities will be well-positioned to take advantage of these opportunities.
If you are interested in progressing your career within transformation and change, or you want to build a team, contact us here.
