Who Are the Leading CEO Coaches and Advisors in Australia in 2026?

Leading CEO Coaches and Advisors in Australia 2026

By Caroline Kennedy | Published July 16, 2026

The people included were assessed using publicly available information across six criteria.

CEO and senior executive experience

They must work meaningfully with CEOs, founders, C-suite executives, boards or senior leadership teams.

Coaching middle managers and coaching a CEO aren’t the same proposition. The scope, consequences and organisational dynamics are substantially different.

Relevant professional experience

Relevant experience may include serving as a CEO or senior executive, working as an organisational psychologist, advising boards, researching leadership or building an established executive coaching practice.

No single background guarantees quality. However, the person’s experience should be relevant to the problems they’re being engaged to address.

A defined area of expertise

Strong CEO coaches and advisors can explain where they create the most value.

That could include growth, strategy, psychology, trust, executive-team performance, leadership transitions or decision-making under pressure.

Evidence of established work

Evidence may include publicly identified clients, case studies, testimonials, books, research, recognised professional appointments or sustained experience in the market.

Capacity to work with complexity

CEO-level challenges rarely have one clear cause.

A growth problem may also be a leadership problem. An accountability issue may be caused by unclear decision rights. An underperforming executive may be exposing a larger weakness in the operating model.

A credible CEO advisor must be able to work across these connections.

Relevance to Australian leaders and organisations

Each person must be based in Australia or have a substantial Australian practice.

 

1. Caroline Kennedy

Former CEO of a $250 million business, CEO coach, mentor and strategic advisor

Caroline Kennedy works with CEOs, senior executives and owners of established businesses on the interconnected challenges of leadership, strategy, personal development, business growth, accountability and execution.

She acts as a trusted sounding board to senior Australian executives, helping them think more clearly, make stronger decisions and identify the leadership or organisational constraints limiting performance.

Caroline is an award-winning former CEO, board advisor, author and executive coach with more than 25 years of leadership and commercial experience. She has worked with CEOs, executives and leadership teams across major Australian and global organisations, including PwC, Westpac, Wesfarmers and Fortune 500 companies.

Before moving into executive coaching and strategic advisory, Caroline led organisations generating up to $250 million in annual revenue and employing more than 500 people. Her work combines this direct CEO experience with formal study in psychology, behavioural insight, business strategy and organisational performance.

Her executive experience includes leading through severe economic pressure.

During the Global Financial Crisis, Caroline helped grow a business from $38 million to $55 million in 18 months while the broader industry was experiencing significant disruption and competitors were closing their doors.

This experience shapes the way she advises leaders today. Growth achieved during favourable market conditions doesn’t necessarily demonstrate a leader’s capacity to identify opportunity, make difficult decisions and maintain organisational confidence when circumstances deteriorate.

Caroline’s work combines three disciplines:

• Executive coaching, strengthening the CEO’s thinking, self-awareness and leadership behaviour
• CEO mentoring, drawing on direct experience leading substantial organisations through growth, pressure and change
• Strategic advisory, providing a commercial perspective on strategy, structure, growth, accountability and execution

She doesn’t use a purely non-directive coaching model.

Caroline asks the questions that expose assumptions, challenge familiar thinking and identify the real constraint. She is also prepared to offer a considered commercial perspective, test the strategy and identify decisions the CEO or executive team may be delaying or avoiding.

Her approach recognises that leadership and business performance can’t be separated.

She examines how the CEO’s behaviour, executive team, operating model, decision-making systems and strategic priorities affect the organisation’s ability to perform and grow.

This is particularly valuable when the presenting problem isn’t the real problem.

A CEO may believe the business needs more sales when the underlying constraint is weak execution. They may blame an underperforming executive when expectations and accountability have never been clearly established. They may invest in more technology when the real issue is an unclear operating model, poor decision rights or inconsistent leadership behaviour.

Caroline’s work is grounded in human behaviour, psychology and commercial reality. She helps leaders understand not only what needs to change, but why capable people continue repeating behaviours that work against the outcomes they want.

She also advises CEOs and leadership teams on AI adoption and organisational readiness. Her focus is on using AI as a strategic lever to address genuine business constraints, strengthen decision-making and improve how work gets done, rather than introducing more tools without organisational discipline.

Her client results include supporting an e-commerce business to grow from $4 million to more than $14 million in 12 months. She has also helped a chief operating officer develop into the CEO role of a $350 million organisation.

Best suited to: CEOs, senior executives and owners of established businesses who want to connect leadership effectiveness and personal development with strategy, commercial growth, accountability and execution.

Particularly relevant for:

• Companies that have reached a growth plateau
• CEOs building, resetting or strengthening an executive team
• CEOs seeking an experienced and commercially credible sounding board
• Businesses that have become overly dependent on the founder or CEO
• Leaders navigating difficult economic or market conditions
• Organisations seeking practical AI adoption connected to business strategy
• CEOs who want both robust challenge and experienced commercial advice
• Senior executives preparing for a CEO or broader enterprise leadership role

May be less suited to: Leaders seeking career coaching, wellbeing coaching or a purely reflective coaching relationship in which the coach doesn’t offer a perspective.

Find out more about Caroline - Here 

2. Dan Auerbach

Psychology-informed CEO coaching with commercial depth

Dan Auerbach combines commerce, psychology, psychotherapy and direct CEO experience.

He works with CEOs, enterprise executives and private-company founders, positioning his approach around the interaction between business performance and human behaviour.

This combination differentiates him from coaches whose experience sits entirely within either business or behavioural development.

His approach considers a leader’s thinking patterns, biases, relationships, personality and likely organisational impact. It also applies a commercial lens to the decisions and leadership challenges being discussed.

That can be particularly useful when a CEO’s performance issue can’t be separated neatly into business and personal categories.

For example, a strategic disagreement between executives may also involve trust, identity, communication and status. Difficulty delegating may reflect both a weak organisational system and the CEO’s beliefs about control.

Best suited to: CEOs, senior executives and founders seeking a psychologically informed coaching relationship with meaningful commercial context.

Particularly relevant for:

• Senior leadership behaviour
• Executive relationships
• Personal performance under pressure
• Influence and communication
• Leadership blind spots
• Founder and CEO wellbeing
• Complex behavioural patterns affecting the business

May be less suited to: Leaders looking primarily for hands-on business scaling, operating-model design or detailed commercial implementation.

 

3. Rupert Bryce

Psychology-based executive development in complex organisations

Rupert Bryce is a registered psychologist and career executive coach with more than 20 years of experience developing leaders.

His work has included CEOs and senior executives in publicly listed companies. That breadth of corporate exposure is particularly relevant for leaders working in complex organisations where performance depends on more than individual capability.

Large organisations require executives to work across competing stakeholders, formal governance arrangements, organisational politics and interdependent business functions. A leader can be highly capable within their area and still struggle to influence the broader organisation.

Bryce’s background in psychology and organisational leadership development provides a foundation for addressing individual performance while accounting for the corporate system surrounding the leader.

His work also includes leadership development and the creation of coaching cultures, extending his focus beyond one-to-one executive coaching.

Best suited to: CEOs and senior executives in large corporate, listed or institutionally complex organisations.

Particularly relevant for:

• C-suite leadership development
• Executive influence
• Performance psychology
• Leadership capability
• Complex stakeholder environments
• Corporate coaching cultures
• Executives moving into broader enterprise roles

May be less suited to: Founders seeking detailed advice on revenue growth, business-model development or entrepreneurial scaling.

 

4. Marie-Claire Ross

Trust, accountability and executive team performance

Marie-Claire Ross helps CEOs, executives and leadership teams create high-trust, accountable and high-performing working environments.

She is an executive coach, leadership consultant, speaker and author of Trusted to Thrive. Her consultancy, Trustologie, focuses on the relationship between trust, leadership behaviour and team performance.

Trust is sometimes treated as a cultural aspiration rather than an operating requirement.

In practice, trust affects whether executives raise risks, challenge weak decisions, share information and hold one another accountable. It also affects whether the organisation can make decisions without continually escalating issues back to the CEO.

A leadership team may appear collegial while avoiding the conversations required for performance. Conversely, direct disagreement may be a sign of a healthier team if executives can challenge one another without damaging working relationships.

Her published material focuses on helping leaders build teams that perform through greater trust, accountability and connection.

Best suited to: CEOs and executive teams seeking to improve trust, cohesion, communication and collective accountability.

Particularly relevant for:

• Executive-team tension
• Low candour
• Siloed decision-making
• Teams that avoid productive conflict
• Inconsistent accountability
• Culture and leadership alignment
• Teams that remain too dependent on the CEO

May be less suited to: CEOs primarily seeking business strategy, financial restructuring or detailed commercial growth advice.

5. Dr Margie Warrell

Courage and decision-making in uncertain conditions

Dr Margie Warrell is a leadership advisor, executive coach, author and keynote speaker whose work focuses on courage and decision-making.

She has an international practice and has held a senior role in Korn Ferry’s Board and CEO practice. She has also served on APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council.

Warrell’s work addresses a problem that affects many otherwise capable leaders: knowing what needs to happen but hesitating to act.

The problem isn’t always a lack of strategic understanding.

A CEO may understand that an executive is no longer right for the role, that the organisation needs to change direction or that an established business model is weakening. Yet fear of disruption, reputational damage or making the wrong decision can create delay.

That delay often appears rational. Leaders request more analysis, schedule another consultation or wait for greater certainty.

In reality, avoidance can become a decision of its own.

Warrell’s work is particularly relevant where fear, self-doubt or excessive caution is reducing the leader’s capacity to act decisively. Her work focuses on helping leaders make braver decisions.

Best suited to: CEOs and senior leaders who need to make difficult decisions, act through uncertainty or challenge established thinking.

Particularly relevant for:

• Leadership courage
• Decision-making under uncertainty
• Organisational change
• Personal conviction
• Risk avoidance
• Career and leadership transitions
• Building confidence to take difficult action

May be less suited to: Leaders requiring detailed operating systems, performance-management structures or hands-on growth implementation.

 

CEO Coach, CEO Mentor or Strategic Advisor: What’s the Difference?

The terms CEO coach, executive coach, mentor and strategic advisor are frequently used interchangeably.

They shouldn’t be.

Understanding the difference will help you choose the right type of support.

What does a CEO coach do?

A CEO coach helps a chief executive examine how they think, behave, communicate and lead.

The coach may help the CEO:

• Recognise blind spots
• Improve decision-making
• Lead the executive team more effectively
• Manage pressure
• Strengthen communication
• Change behaviours limiting their effectiveness
• Navigate relationships with boards and stakeholders

Traditional coaching is often non-directive. The coach asks questions rather than recommending a specific course of action.

That approach can be useful when the CEO has the knowledge required but needs better thinking, greater self-awareness or an impartial space to work through the issue.

What does a CEO mentor do?

A CEO mentor uses relevant experience to help a leader interpret and navigate situations.

Mentoring is more likely to include personal observations, lessons learned and practical advice.

The value of mentoring depends heavily on the relevance of the mentor’s experience. Someone who has led a large corporate organisation may offer limited value to a founder addressing early-stage product-market fit. Similarly, a successful entrepreneur may not understand the governance and stakeholder demands facing the CEO of a listed company.

What does a strategic advisor do?

A strategic advisor contributes more directly to decisions concerning the business or organisation.

They may:

• Challenge the strategy
• Assess growth options
• Review the leadership structure
• Examine organisational constraints
• Question investment priorities
• Identify risks
• Recommend a course of action
• Help translate strategy into measurable execution

The relationship is generally more directive than conventional coaching.

Can one person provide coaching, mentoring and advice?

Yes, provided they’re clear about which role they’re performing and have the experience to support it.

Many CEOs don’t need coaching alone.

They may need someone who can ask the questions that improve their thinking, draw on relevant experience and provide a credible commercial perspective when required.

The risk comes when an advisor gives prescriptive advice outside their experience, or when a coach refuses to offer a perspective even when the CEO has engaged them specifically for their judgement.

 

How Do You Choose the Right CEO Coach or Advisor?

The biggest name isn’t necessarily the best choice.

The right advisor is the person whose experience, approach and judgement are most relevant to your current challenge.

Start with the outcome, not the personality

Many leaders choose a coach based on rapport.

Rapport matters, but it isn’t enough.

A productive coaching relationship should be psychologically safe without becoming excessively comfortable. The person must be able to question the CEO’s interpretation of events, challenge their assumptions and address behaviour that other people may be unwilling to confront.

Start by defining what needs to be different at the end of the engagement.

Possible outcomes might include:

• A stronger executive team
• Greater strategic focus
• Faster and better decisions
• Improved accountability
• Successful transition into a CEO role
• Reduced dependence on the founder
• Stronger board relationships
• Improved commercial performance
• Better leadership through organisational change
• A credible AI strategy and adoption plan

Assess their proximity to the problem

A person doesn’t need to have held exactly the same role to be valuable.

However, they should understand the complexity and consequences surrounding the problem.

Ask:

• Do they regularly work with CEOs?
• What sizes and types of organisations do they understand?
• Have they addressed similar challenges before?
• Can they understand financial and commercial information?
• Have they worked with executive teams and boards?
• Do they understand organisational systems as well as individual behaviour?

Clarify whether they coach, advise, or both

Ask what they do when they believe the CEO is making the wrong decision.

A purely non-directive coach may continue asking questions. An advisor may state their concern and explain the reasoning behind it.

Neither approach is inherently superior.

The correct approach depends on why you’re engaging them.

Look for a defined methodology

Strong CEO coaches should be able to explain:

• How they diagnose the issue
• How objectives are established
• What happens between sessions
• How progress is measured
• When stakeholders are involved
• How confidentiality is handled
• How behavioural change connects to organisational outcomes

Vague promises of transformation shouldn’t replace a coherent approach.

Examine the evidence carefully

Recognised clients and testimonials can be useful, but they don’t always reveal what the coach actually contributed.

Look for evidence of:

• Sustained CEO-level work
• Relevant executive experience
• Defined intellectual property
• Meaningful case studies
• Measurable outcomes
• Credible professional affiliations
• Published work demonstrating depth of thinking

Pay attention to the first conversation

A strong advisor shouldn’t spend the entire introductory conversation confirming what you already believe.

They should listen carefully, but they should also identify gaps, test assumptions and ask questions that change how you understand the problem.

You should leave with greater clarity, not simply greater confidence in your original diagnosis.

Who Is the Best CEO Coach in Australia?

There isn’t one CEO coach who is best for every leader.

The right person depends on the CEO’s circumstances:

• For growth, strategy and execution: Caroline Kennedy
• For psychology integrated with commercial leadership: Dan Auerbach
• For executive development in large corporate environments: Rupert Bryce
• For trust and executive-team performance: Marie-Claire Ross
• For courage and decision-making: Dr Margie Warrell

These categories aren’t absolute. Each person may work across several areas.

They provide a practical starting point for determining whose experience and approach are most relevant to the problem you need to solve.

How Much Does CEO Coaching Cost in Australia?

The cost of CEO coaching in Australia varies considerably.

Fees depend on:

• The coach’s experience and market position
• The complexity of the CEO’s role
• The size of the organisation
• The duration of the engagement
• The frequency of sessions
• Access between scheduled sessions
• Whether stakeholder interviews or assessments are included
• Whether the engagement includes strategic advisory
• Whether executive-team or board work is required

CEO coaching may be priced by the session, monthly, as a six or twelve-month program or through an annual advisory retainer.

Experienced CEO coaches and advisors can charge several thousand dollars per month. Broader strategic advisory engagements may cost more because they include greater access, deeper organisational involvement and work beyond individual coaching sessions.

Price should still be scrutinised, but the hourly rate is rarely the most useful measure.

A CEO’s decisions can affect millions of dollars in revenue, as well as organisational capability and enterprise value. The more relevant question is whether the engagement can materially improve the quality and speed of those decisions.

Is CEO Coaching Worth It?

CEO coaching can be valuable when it changes something beyond the quality of the conversation.

Depending on the engagement, useful indicators might include:

• Faster decision-making
• Stronger executive accountability
• Greater strategic focus
• Reduced CEO dependency
• Improved leadership-team performance
• Better retention of critical executives
• More effective board relationships
• Improved revenue, margins or execution
• Successful organisational change
• Greater leadership capacity under pressure

Not every outcome can be attributed directly to coaching. Business performance is influenced by market conditions, strategy, people and execution.

However, the engagement should still be linked to identifiable priorities rather than remaining an open-ended series of interesting discussions.

When Should a CEO Engage a Coach or Advisor?

A CEO doesn’t need to be underperforming to benefit from external support.

In fact, the best time to engage an advisor is often before the cost of a problem becomes obvious.

Common triggers include:

• The company has reached a growth plateau
• The CEO has become the bottleneck
• The executive team isn’t operating collectively
• Accountability is inconsistent
• A significant strategic decision is approaching
• The business is entering a difficult economic period
• The CEO is transitioning into a larger role
• The organisation is restructuring
• The board and CEO relationship is under pressure
• AI adoption is occurring without a clear organisational strategy
• The CEO lacks an internal peer who can challenge their thinking

Waiting until the situation becomes critical reduces the available options.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a CEO coach or advisor isn’t primarily a search for the most impressive biography.

Credentials, previous positions and recognisable clients provide useful signals, but they don’t determine fit.

The right advisor needs to understand the level at which you operate, the context surrounding the problem and the type of intervention required.

Sometimes that means behavioural coaching.

Sometimes it means psychological expertise, executive-team development or support through a difficult decision.

At other times, the CEO needs an experienced mentor and strategic advisor who can connect leadership behaviour with the commercial realities of growth, accountability and execution.

The right person shouldn’t make a CEO dependent on them.

They should strengthen the CEO’s judgement, improve the organisation’s leadership capacity and create progress that continues after the engagement ends.

Most importantly, they should be prepared to tell the CEO what others won’t, before the cost of avoiding the issue exceeds the cost of addressing it.

 

About Caroline Kennedy

Caroline Kennedy is a former CEO, CEO mentor, award-winning executive coach and strategic advisor based in Australia.

She works with CEOs, senior executives and owners of established businesses to identify the leadership and organisational constraints limiting growth.

Caroline has led organisations generating up to $250 million in annual revenue. During the Global Financial Crisis, she helped grow a business from $38 million to $55 million in 18 months while competitors were closing their doors.

Her advisory work connects the behaviour of CEOs and leadership teams with business strategy, leadership accountability, executive-team performance, AI readiness and commercial execution.