DARREN challis
Global executive search & board search consultant
Summary
Experienced executive search and leadership consultant
Darren is the Founder and Managing Director of Challis & Company. He has led many successful searches for non-executive directors, CEOs, country managers and other senior executives across a range of industries particularly media, digital, consumer, financial services, professional services and private equity. He has also completed many management assessments and board reviews.
Before founding Challis & Company, Darren worked for a number of years as a consultant with DH International—founding and building a highly regarded, nine-person practice in its first two years—and Egon Zehnder.
Prior to his executive search career, Darren worked as a corporate and finance lawyer with Minter Ellison. He then worked as a Consultant and Project Leader at The Boston Consulting Group, leading a number of strategy projects for large Australian and global clients. Darren then joined Fairfax Media Limited [ASX: FXJ], initially as Director, Commercial Strategy and subsequently as Group Director, New Media Development. During his time at Fairfax, he led the company’s digital M&A process, leading to several successful acquisitions including Trade Me, RSVP and Stayz. Darren also served as a non-executive director on the board of a venture capital-backed ASX-listed company.
Darren holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from The University of Sydney. He also graduated with a full-time MBA at the Australian Graduate School of Management, completed on exchange to the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
Over the years, Darren has also served on a number of community boards. He has twice been elected to the University Council at The University of New South Wales, its governing body, where he also served on the University’s Finance Committee and Planning Committee, and as a Governor of its Alumni Association.
Experience
Challis & Company
Managing Director 2012 - Present
Managing Director of Challis & Company.
Challis & Company works with Boards, CEOs and senior managers of listed corporations, multinationals, mid-sized companies, professional service firms, private equity firms, government-owned corporations and not-for-profits
With a spike in executive search and board search, Challis & Company has an outstanding track record in helping our clients in the recruitment of their senior executive and non-executive talentDH International
Founding Managing Director, Australia & New Zealand 2010 - 2012
Founding Managing Director of DH International, the Australian/New Zealand subsidiary of DHR International, Inc., the global executive search firm headquartered in Chicago
Built a well-regarded team of nine focused on the talent acquisition of senior executive and Board for Boards and CEOs across a range of industries
Developed client relationships and successfully executed on searches across a number of industries particularly media, technology, consumer goods, private equity and professional servicesEgon Zehnder
Consultant 2006 - 2010
Talent acquisition and development advice to boards and CEOs across a range of industries particularly media, technology, consumer goods, retail and services
Lead consultant on numerous executive searches, management appraisals, non-executive director searches and board reviewsThe University of New South Wales
Council Member Jul 1998 - Jun 2008
Member of the University Council, the University's ultimate governing body
Initially elected as a Postgraduate Member and then as a Graduate MemberThe Sydney Morning Herald
Contributor 2005 - 2007
Articles and reviews with a consumer technology focus
Mooter Media
Non-Executive Director 2006 - 2006
Non-Executive Director for this start-up developer and provider of Internet advertising targeting tools and intelligent clustering technology for organising search results
Fairfax Media
Group Director, New Media Development 2005 - 2006
Driving digital strategic agenda, including responsibility for digital corporate development. Led a number of successful acquisitions including RSVP.com.au, Trade Me and Stayz
Director, Commercial Strategy 2004 - 2005
Leader of the Strategy and Corporate Development team for the largest revenue division including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Fairfax Digital and Group Magazines
Boston Consulting Group
Project Leader 2002 - 2004
Strategic advisor, value analyst and change agent for boards and CEOs of global and Australasian companies
Consultant 1998 - 2002
Strategic advisor, value analyst and change agent for boards and CEOs of global and Australasian companies
MinterEllison
Solicitor 1993 - 1998
Trusted advisor to major companies and investors on a range of corporate, commercial and regulatory issues, primarily in telecommunications and media
Australian Macworld (IDG Communications)
Consulting Editor 1986 - 1997
Contributed over 200 articles, including numerous feature stories and three flagship monthly columns, including "The Joy of Mac"
Also freelance journalism for several Australian and US publications
Invited speaker at Australian and US conferences; several radio interviewsSkills
Executive Search
Leadership Consulting
Succession Planning
Board Reviews
Non-Executive Director Search
Management Consulting
Education
Australian Institute of Company Directors
Company Directors Course 2007
The Australian Institute of Company Directors is Australia's leading membership body for directors in Australia and the leading Australian not-for-profit corporate governance organisation.I=
Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
Master of Management 1999 - 1999
Exchange from Australian Graduation School of Management
Australian Graduate School of Management
Master of Business Administration 1998 - 1999
Full-time MBA degree jointly awarded by The University of New South Wales and The University of Sydney
Activities: Elected Postgraduate Member, University Council; Member, University Council Planning Committee; Member, University Council Student Affairs Committee; Board Member, Student Guild; Board Member, Postgraduate BoardHigh Court of Australia
Admitted as a Solicitor 1996 - Present
Supreme Court of New South Wales
Admitted as a Legal Practitioner 1994 - Present
University of Technology, Sydney
College of Law, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice 1994 - 1994
Professional legal qualification.
University of Sydney
Bachelor of Laws (First-Class Honours) 1989 - 1993
Activities: Editor, Sydney Law Review
University of Sydney
Government & Public Administration, Bachelor of Arts 1989 - 1991
Sydney Grammar School
Higher School Certificate 1978 - 1988
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