Image via PerthNow
Dave & Buster's: Geographic Expansion
Dave & Buster's is launching a mega venue in Perth, Australia (Clarkson location) on May 16, 2026, positioning it as a hub for sports fans, gamers, families and corporates
Source: PerthNow
The leadership read
Market entry of this kind typically deepens demand for consulting leadership bench strength in the region over the following 12–18 months.
Market context: This lands while the Talent Market Index reads 98.6 (Neutral) — down 1.4 versus the prior month — and Oceania signal share is steady (+1.3pts).
Dave & Buster's: 2 signals in the last 90 days — above the Consulting median of 1 across 40 tracked companies; 0.3% of MitchelLake's Oceania signal flow; 2 tracked across 20 days.
Market entry — the MitchelLake playbook
When a company expands into a new market, the first leadership hires decide whether it lands. A selection of market entries we've run:
Market entry · Oceania
Square
Executive Search Fintech
Market entry
Dropbox
Executive Search for SaaS
Market entry · Asia
Deliveroo
Executive Search in ASEAN
Market entry · Oceania
SurveyMonkey
Managing Director APAC (first hire in region) / Country Manager
Market entry · Asia
LivePerson
Director ASEAN (first hire in region); also Head of Presales APAC
Market entry · Oceania
Etsy
Managing Director, Australia + Asia (MD APAC)
MitchelLake in this thematic
Also at Dave & Buster's →
More signals across Consulting
Ma Activity · Oceania
Fivetran →Fivetran completed merger with dbt, consolidating data infrastructure and transformation platforms. CEO George Fraser discussing integration and future strategy.
Partnership · Oceania
Equifax Australia →Equifax Australia partnered with The Trade Desk to enable advertisers to activate finance-based audience segments directly within TTD's platform, covering 15M+ consumers and 8.7M households across Australia.
Capital Raising · Oceania
Transurban Group →Transurban secured A$300 million financing for Westlink M7 infrastructure project
Strategic Hiring · Oceania
Russell Reynolds Associates →CEO appointments in Asia-Pacific hit five-year high in Q1 2026 with 26 new appointments, 73% increase from 2025. Boards favoring internal succession (73%) but Australia and India showing higher external hiring rates.
“Organisations today need a new breed of CEOs – leaders who can navigate ambiguity with confidence, unlock new growth opportunities, and demonstrate the resilience and clarity needed to lead through ongoing complexity.”
Restructuring · Oceania
Jarden →Splitting banking and wealth divisions in ownership restructure with Pacific Equity Partners taking full control of FirstCape
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