Johnson Partners appoints Megan Rutter as Partner, Chief People Officer Practice

Johnson Partners has appointed Megan Rutter as Partner, Chief People Officer Practice, bringing nearly two decades of experience at Westpac and extensive expertise in people leadership to the executive search firm.

The appointment was announced by Jason Johnson, Founder and CEO of Johnson Partners, in a LinkedIn post on 12 October 2026. 

Rutter also shared a post marking her first day at the firm, thanking Johnson and the team for their welcome.

Nearly two decades at Westpac

Rutter brings nearly 20 years of experience with Westpac, alongside experience working with CEOs, boards and executive teams through organisational growth, transformation and change.

According to Johnson, her combination of deep HR expertise and firsthand executive leadership experience gives her a distinct perspective on the leadership challenges organisations face today.

Focus on people and leadership

In her professional biography, Rutter describes herself as a commercially astute, decisive and empathetic HR executive who focuses on clarity, connection and execution.

Her approach centres on translating strategy into action, supporting organisational transformation and balancing commercial priorities with human impact. 

She also emphasises building trust, driving performance and simplifying complexity to deliver business outcomes.

At Johnson Partners, Rutter joins the Chief People Officer Practice, bringing her people leadership experience and understanding of executive-level challenges to the firm's work with senior leaders and organisations.