C3Talent is Queensland’s leading specialists in Board, Executive, Management, and Corporate Services recruitment. Founded in 2018 by Peter Murphy and Kelly Howard, with James Muller joining in 2023, our leadership team brings 75+ years of combined experience, deep local insight, and national and international networks.
Over 87% of our placements come from trusted networks, referrals, and targeted search. We are frank, fearless, and collaborative partners, providing the market insight and strategic advice that helps organisations make confident, informed hiring decisions.
In 2018, the recruitment industry was defined by high-volume, transactional placements. We saw a different path. Together with brand advisor Simon Lockyer, we built C3Talent around a simple belief: that recruitment, done properly, creates lasting change.
By focusing on the C3 executive triangle, CEO, CFO, and Chief Talent Officer, we aligned the firm’s identity with leadership-level impact.
We backed that belief with action by introducing a four-day work week from day one, long before flexible work became mainstream. A team-based profit-sharing scheme replaced individual commissions, shifting the culture from short-term competition to shared accountability. The result was profitability and productivity well above industry norms.
Today, C3Talent is a thriving boutique firm with a clear purpose. By concentrating value through selective partnerships and treating people as autonomous professionals, the founding thesis has proven itself: when you prioritise collective excellence, you change careers and organisations for the better.
We are open, warm, and approachable. We build genuine relationships through empathy and honest communication. We create trust in every interaction and handle difficult conversations with care and respect.
We listen deeply and look beyond the obvious to find the right path. Our advice is grounded and sharp, and driven by a constant desire to build knowledge, share ideas, and embrace different perspectives by connecting people for their mutual benefit.
We strive to have a true impact and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. We hold ourselves accountable to help our clients, Talent and our team by going above and beyond expectations to create positive, lasting outcomes.
We tell you what you need to hear, bring deep knowledge of the Brisbane and Queensland market, and stay invested in your outcome well beyond placement. Our Performance Profile methodology defines what success truly looks like in a role, not just the skills on paper.
You will always deal with experienced people who are hands-on in every search. We challenge your thinking when needed, share what we see in the market, and work alongside you as a true partner.
We go beyond job boards, using deep market research, AI tools and long-established networks to uncover exceptional people and opportunities that rarely reach the open market. We do more than search the market, we know it.
Our reputation is built on trust, results, and long-term relationships. Named Queensland's Best Executive Search Agency by Sourcr in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Voted by the people we work with.
Combined with targeted search, curious interviews that dig deep, and Hogan profiling where required, it creates clearer decisions and stronger long-term appointments.
Peter Murphy, Kelly Howard and James Muller lead every search personally, bringing 75+ years of executive recruitment experience, trusted networks and deep market insight to each appointment.
C3Talent have been a partner to Five Good Friends for over three years. In that time they have consistently identified and helped us attract great people, in a sector that is one of the most competitive and in demand in the country. We see them as true extension of our business. Their thoughtful approach and process ensures they understand our culture, vision and strategy. I cannot recommend them highly enough for anyone needing to attract and retain exceptional Talent.
Simon Lockyer
CEO, Five Good Friends
C3Talent is a place where talented people do their best work. We are a high-performing recruitment business built on strong relationships, deep market knowledge and a genuine commitment to quality. We take pride in the work we do for our clients and Talent, and we bring that same care to how we support and look after our own team.
Access exclusive Brisbane executive roles that never reach the open market.
