The Downing Network Pty Ltd

The Downing Network Pty Ltd is an executive search and leadership advisory firm founded in 2023 by John Downing, who brings over 50 years of experience in executive recruitment. The firm specialises exclusively in resources, infrastructure, diversified industrials and defence, with every search led by principals who possess deep operating environment knowledge, genuine industry relationships, and genuine understanding of what excellence looks like in the roles they fill. The Downing Network was built around the core belief that successful search outcomes depend on authentic industry expertise, senior practitioners conducting the work themselves, and a commitment to understanding the commercial pressures, technical requirements, cultures and leadership backgrounds that define their chosen sectors.

The firm's specialisation spans resources, infrastructure, manufacturing and defence industries, where the team brings decades of lived experience rather than superficial familiarity. Their capability extends well beyond operational and technical roles to include executive positions such as CEOs, CFOs, General Counsels, HR Directors, Commercial Managers and Project Directors. The network is industry-wide rather than discipline-specific, allowing the firm to identify senior functional leaders across multiple sectors. The Downing Network operates with a lean model by design, ensuring that the people conducting each search are the same individuals who took the initial brief, understand the sector deeply, and remain engaged throughout the process.

The Downing Network operates nationally across Australia, throughout Asia Pacific, and in Latin America through affiliate Downing Teal offices. The firm commits to delivering an assessed shortlist within six weeks as standard, and provides transparent guidance if market conditions cannot support this timeline. Clients choose The Downing Network because the team comes from these industries rather than studying them externally, bringing authentic sector knowledge and the ability to move quickly through networks built over decades. The firm's leadership includes Michael Freis, who spent years at Downing Teal before building a 25-year career in construction and engineering recruitment, and Ivan Vujicic, who began his career at Downing Teal in 2008 before roles at CTPartners and Korn Ferry.