Hi, I'm Adrian Whitehead - Startup Mentor at Macquarie University
I thrive on empowering founders and senior leaders in fast-paced startups and scale-ups to grow their leadership capacity. My passion is helping them navigate the complexities of rapid expansion with confidence and clarity, drawing from extensive global leadership experience.
At a glance
Curated signals on strengths, focus areas, and how they can help.
Led diverse, international teams at Google for nearly two decades across APAC, EMEA, and the US.
Currently mentors startups at Macquarie University, fostering the next generation of leaders.
Helps founders and leaders navigate hyper-growth by building adaptive leadership structures and high-performing teams.
🚀 Career trajectory
Foundational Tech Experience
Began career in Quality Assurance Engineering at CoCreate Software, gaining early exposure to software development lifecycles.
✦ Quality Assurance
✦ Software Development
Global Leadership at Google
Spent nearly two decades leading diverse, international teams at Google, managing creative specialists and technical operations across APAC, EMEA, and the US.
✦ Leadership
✦ Global Operations
✦ Team Management
Specialized Coaching Practice
Founded Adrian Whitehead Coaching to focus on empowering startup and scale-up leaders through strengths-based coaching and strategic guidance.
✦ Coaching
✦ Entrepreneurship
✦ Leadership Development
Startup Ecosystem Engagement
Currently contributing as a Startup Mentor at Macquarie University, fostering the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders.
✦ Mentoring
✦ Startups
✦ Academia
💪🏻 Superpowers
Growth Leadership Architect
Designing leadership structures that scale with your business.
✦ Develop adaptive leadership teams for rapid growth environments.
✦ Implement strengths-based strategies for enhanced team performance.
✦ Address leadership challenges arising from scaling and restructuring.
Global Scale-Up Navigator
Leveraging extensive experience from global tech giants.
✦ Translate Google's large-scale leadership practices to startups.
✦ Navigate complex organizational shifts and rapid expansion.
✦ Build resilient leadership frameworks for international markets.
Data-Driven Coach
Utilizing assessments for targeted leadership improvement.
✦ Apply Hogan Assessments for deep leadership insight.
✦ Leverage CliftonStrengths for personalized development.
✦ Facilitate high-performing team dynamics through targeted coaching.
I'm excited about
✦ Connecting with ambitious founders navigating hyper-growth phases.
✦ Exploring innovative approaches to leadership development in tech.
✦ Collaborating with scale-ups seeking to build world-class leadership teams.
I can help with
✦ Help leaders unlock their full potential through strengths-based coaching.
✦ Guide teams to achieve peak performance during periods of intense growth.
✦ Provide strategic insights for building and developing adaptive leadership structures.
I would love your help on
✦ Connecting with emerging AI or biotech startups seeking leadership expertise.
✦ Insights into innovative employee engagement strategies for remote teams.
✦ Introductions to venture capital firms focusing on early-stage tech.