CAO PartnersAustralia's specialist AI recruitment firm
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Australia's specialist AI recruitment firm

Your businessruns on people.The ones who build AI are the ones worth hiring now.

CAO Partners finds, vets, and places dedicated AI operators inside Australian businesses. Not consultants. Not agencies. People who embed, build, and stay accountable.

Hire a Chief Agent Officer ↗
The Role↓
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Founders

Started by operators who actually built it.

Emil Juresic

Emil JuresicCo-Founder

"Within days of deploying AI agents, processes that used to take weeks were taking minutes. Agents catching mistakes. Improving systems. Serving every arm of the business with precision. We are rebuilding how business is done, with AI in every layer. Prepare accordingly."
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Chairman of NGU Real Estate. $4B+ in annual sales. 16 offices. $500M+ in developed property. Founder of Prestige Finance, Juresic Family Office, and Level X Fitness. Co-founder of One Life Club. 500+ people across his businesses.

Emil is currently running a CAO across his entire group. Automating ops, scoring every sales call, managing finance workflows. The whole infrastructure. Rebuilt from the ground up.

Simon Beard

Simon BeardCo-Founder

"For the first time, one person can sit at a terminal and control end-to-end operations. Deploy an agent workforce. Multiply output across every function simultaneously. The Chief Agent Officer is the most important hire I have ever seen. Get this one right and the whole business accelerates."
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I started Culture Kings with my wife Tahnee from a market stall on the Gold Coast. We built it to a $600M exit on the New York Stock Exchange. 100% bootstrapped. No investors. No debt. No outside capital.

Today I run AI agents across eight businesses. $500K+ in weekly ad spend scored. Every sales call analysed. Operations running 24/7. I started CAO Partners because after rebuilding my own businesses around agents, I saw the same gap in every company I advise.

Testimonials

What our clients
are saying.

CAO Partners placed me into an amazing opportunity. If you're an engineer or automation expert you have absolutely nothing to lose by giving them a try.
Simon KPlaced AI Orchestrator
I worked with the team at CAO Partners, they were quick to land me a full time AI role with an organisation matching my goals. Wouldn't hesitate to work with them again. Highly recommended if you want job security in this massive technology shift.
Kasun DPlaced AI Orchestrator
CAO are extremely professional and excellent at what they do. They have a real knack for pairing quality businesses with really skilled consultants for an amazing experience.5 stars all the way
Aaron BPlaced Chief Agent Officer
The Australian leaders in AI and Business Operations. The CAO partners have such an amazing process and deep understanding of Business knowledge and how to actually implement AI into operations at an enterprise level.10/10 service and team! Definitely recommend.
Michael TPlaced AI Officer
Gulliver and CAO Partners identified and placed a perfect fit for my organisation.
Daniel FEZYAIR
We engaged CAO Partners with little understanding of AI or how agents can optimise our hospitality group. We worked with Gulliver to appoint a CAO. Gulliver was way more helpful than we have experienced with any recruitment agency we have ever worked with. He listened attentively to what it is we are out to achieve, sat in on multiple interviews with us, debriefed following each one and ultimately helped us choose the candidate that was the best fit for our business.We are truly excited about the partnership we have created and the outcomes we will achieve together in redefining hospitality and human connection with the help of AI. Highly recommend.
Michael HHarvac
Michael at CAO Partners took the time to really understand what we needed before presenting anyone. He found us a CTO with exactly the right technical mindset for a complex, high-stakes project. The process was straightforward, personal and efficient. I would not hesitate to work with Michael again.
Chris VVitale Projects
Michael and the team at CAO Partners were excellent to deal with from start to finish. They were responsive, straightforward and really understood the type of person we needed.The talent they connected us with has been second to none and has already been genuinely game-changing for our company. I would highly recommend CAO Partners to any business looking for high-quality AI talent and a recruitment team that actually delivers.
Ed MNorthwear & Kingston Con
We have hired an AI Architect through CAO Partners and it was a great decision. Rebuilding systems around AI will put us in front of the competition. Be first or be last.
Hugh PH&L Construction
The team at CAO Partners were great, simple process, fast and delivered a high quality AI operator. Thanks Simon and Jonathan, would highly recommend.
Chris MStriking Pools
We had an outstanding experience working with Gulliver. He took the time to understand our business, culture, and the highly specialised capabilities we needed. They then introduced us to an exceptional AI agent specialist. The entire process was professional, efficient, and thoughtfully managed.
Samantha MHive Property
Working with Jonathan, the CAO team, and the partners has been a breeze. They’ve been extremely attentive and thorough throughout the whole recruitment process. We’re currently in the process of hiring our first AI Orchestrator. We’d been talking to other AI recruitment agencies, and CAO were quite frankly miles ahead of the rest in terms of process, quality checks, and management. Couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Daniel JThe GOAT co
A great experience and a great result! I highly recommend this company as a small business owner
Melanie UMarvel Invest

#1 AI recruitment firm in AU

They own
the outcome.
They stay.

6-DIMCandidate assessment

AUSSpecialist AI recruitment

ZeroGeneric shortlists

Tools your CAO will deploy from day one

AGENTS
S
Sales Ops
running
F
Finance Bot
running
Q
QA Reviewer
queued
O
Onboarding
idle
Workflow runs · Today
Live
Score inbound calls · 412 records
96%
Reconcile vendor invoices
88%
Draft proposal · Q2 pipeline
54%
Sync HRIS · 138 records
22%
Triage support tickets
100%
1,284
Tasks today
99.4%
Success rate
$48k
Saved this week
6fn
Functions live
Tools into action · Illustrative workflow

6wk

Time to first impact

Typical time to first measurable impact from placement.

100×

Output multiplier

Productivity multiplier across a business with one strong operator.

$0

Day rates. No retainers. No scope creep. One hire. Your employee.

4+

Business functions typically automated in the first 90 days.

Live Placements across AU

FencepacTerritory Water SolutionsPhlat ConstructionsVitale ProjectsNorthwearNGU Real EstateOne Life Clubbeard.comADCOComplete Refrigeration & AirH&L ConstructionsPavscorp HomesThe LAP CollectiveProjxWillship InternationalBrisbane Pump ActionEZYAIRStriking PoolsHive Property
What they actually do

A different kind of operator. A different kind of business.

01

Rebuilds workflows with AI agents, not around them

Maps every manual process across sales, ops, finance, and support. Deploys agents that replace the work, not just assist with it. The output is a different kind of business.

02

Delivers in weeks, not quarters

Starts with the highest-leverage problem and ships something that works. Then the next one. The pace is not consulting pace. It is founder pace.

03

Reports to the CEO, not the tech team

This is a strategic infrastructure role. Sits at the decision-making table. Does not wait for tickets or quarterly reviews to move.

04

Your employee. Your IP. Your advantage.

Employed by you. Everything they build belongs to your business. The knowledge transfers. When they leave, the systems stay.

Three tiers

Three tiers. One right fit.

Every business needs a different shape of operator. Salary bands, scope, and reporting lines are calibrated to where you actually are, not where a job board template says you should be.

Tier 1

CAOChief Agent Officer

Works at the executive level. Owns the AI roadmap, sets governance policy, and is accountable for measurable ROI. Reports directly to the CEO or Chairman. The person who makes sure AI becomes a competitive advantage, not a liability.

Multi-agent fleetsP&L accountabilityBoard reportingEnterprise security
Salary$180k - $250k+
Tier 2

AI OfficerCore placement tier

Bridges the gap between executive strategy and technical execution. Translates business objectives into AI implementation priorities and ships them. The operator who makes your AI investment actually land.

Process automationStack integrationWorkflow designAgent deployment
Salary$120k - $180k
Tier 3

AI OrchestratorHands-on implementer

Designs, builds, and runs AI workflows across your business. Delivers results faster than a dev team. Works best when given a clear problem - they bring the execution. Two profiles: self-taught young builders, staying ahead of the curve due to obsession, and mid-career professionals who've made a deliberate move into AI.

Workflow automationAPI integrationsPrompt engineeringAgent deployment
Salary$70k - $120k
Process

Three steps. Weeks, not months.

01

We scope what you actually need

We sit with your leadership team, map your operations, and identify where AI creates the most leverage. No generic briefs. No wasted time. We leave the first conversation with a clear picture of the role.

02

We match someone who can do it

We search our vetted pool and screen for your specific business. You only meet candidates who are genuinely qualified for your problem, briefed on your business before the first call.

03

They embed and build

Your CAO joins your business, reports directly to you, and gets to work. Six weeks to first measurable impact. Everything they build belongs to you. We stay involved through onboarding.

Vetting & support

Every step counts.
Before and beyond the hire.

Seven connected stages. From the first video assessment to ongoing support, we stay accountable for the people we place.

Stage 01 / 07

Pre-screening video assessment

A video assessment tests competency, AI knowledge and Australian working rights before a candidate progresses.

Competency · Knowledge · Australian working rights

01 / 07
Start a search
Frequently asked questions

The questions
people actually ask.

Frequently asked questions about hiring a Chief Agent Officer, answered plainly.

15 questions. Straight answers.

Is this a full-time hire, or can we start part time?

We recommend full time so the person stays focused on one business rather than split across several, and most placements are written that way.

Part time, casual and fixed-term arrangements are all possible where that suits the business better.

Do they sit in our office, or work remotely?

Either. We run the search to your location, so a role that needs someone on site in a specific city gets a search in that city. Remote and hybrid placements are just as common.

Are they Australian, or are you recruiting offshore?

All Australian based. They either work from your office or work remotely within Australia. We do not place offshore.

Do we employ them, or do they stay on your books?

You employ them directly. We make the match and step back, so the hire sits on your payroll as your own staff member, with the same obligations and the same loyalty as anyone else on the team.

Who are these people, and what is their background?

Australians who have built and shipped real agentic systems, sorted into three tiers by experience and assessment score: AI Orchestrator, AI Officer, and Chief Agent Officer. Every tier carries deep working knowledge of agentic workflows. The tier sets seniority and scope, and all of them do the building themselves.

How do you find them, and how do you vet them?

Over a thousand people have applied to become a Chief Agent Officer. Before anyone reaches you they have to show us what they have actually built, then pass a scored interview and a technical assessment. What lands on your desk is the short end of that process.

What does this person do day to day?

They own AI across your business: finding the repeated work worth automating, building the agents that do it, wiring those agents into the systems you already run, and keeping them working once they are live. They are the doer rather than a manager of doers, working directly with you or your leadership team.

A contractor builds you something and leaves. This person grows with the business and keeps building as you find the next thing worth automating.

Do we get to interview them before we commit?

Always. Nobody joins your business without you meeting them first. We sit in on the introduction, and the decision is yours.

How long does it take to get someone in?

Candidates come back to you in small batches, three to five at a time, with interviews arranged for anyone you want to meet. You are choosing between real people rather than waiting out a long silent search.

Am I replacing staff, or adding someone?

Adding. This is a hire that makes the people you already have more effective: the repetitive work comes off their desks, and the same team handles more without growing headcount to match.

Who owns what they build, and where does our data sit?

You do. Because the person is your employee, the agents, the prompts, the workflows and the documentation are your property and live inside your own systems and accounts.

Nothing you share with us during the search leaves the process.

Who is accountable if an agent gets something wrong?

The same person who is accountable for any other work in your business. Agents run inside your systems, under your policies, with your employee responsible for how they are built, tested and monitored.

What do we need in place before they start?

Nothing new. Part of the job is looking at the software you already pay for, working out what earns its place, and building on that before anything gets added.

Have you done this in a business like mine?

Our candidates have built working systems in construction and trades, hospitality, real estate, professional services, retail, transport and logistics, manufacturing, aged care, and finance. We can show you what has been built in your industry before you decide anything.

Is my business big enough for this?

Businesses of five people and businesses of fifty both hire Chief Agent Officers. What matters is repeated work: if the same task runs through your business every week, it can be automated, and someone needs to own that.

Still have a question?Talk to us
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What is a Chief Agent Officer?

The most important new role in business. What it involves, who needs one, and why the window to move is now.

Ready to work with us?

Whether you are a business ready to move or an operator ready to lead, the conversation starts here.

Enquire about a Chief Agent Officer

Testimonials

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