So long, farewell
THIS week I’ll complete my term as CEO of the City of Greater Geelong, so it’s appropriate I share my reflections on that role with the broader community.
My goal has been to provide the council organisation with stability and values-led leadership — drawing on my more than 35 years experience working with many different councils, often through ‘chaotic times’.
During my almost three years as CEO of Greater Geelong — the nation’s eighth largest municipality by population — the organisation has undergone enormous change.
It’s no secret this has been tough and challenging for many of the city’s dedicated senior officers and staff who’ve supported this necessary transformation, and I thank each and every one of them for their commitment.
Much of this activity was driven by the Halliday Report and the Commission of Inquiry, which led the Victorian Government to dismiss the previous council and its directlyelected mayor.
We were set the difficult task to compress at least four years of much-needed organisational change and business improvement into just 18 months, ready for the return of the elected council in November last year.
So we set about our organisational transformation under two periods of State Government-appointed administrators.
The outcome has been to encourage the organisation to change, adapt, become more agile, review every policy and procedure, adopt better financial controls, and become more customer-focused with the range of 126 different services the organisation provides.
A great example of this has been the development of our Clever and Creative 30-year vision for the City, which engaged with over 16,000 stakeholders.
We’ve also developed a new organisational purpose statement and values for our 2700-member workforce and dramatically remodelled our culture based on positive duty, resilience, synergy and respect for those we work with, and those we provide services to.
The organisation’s transformation is not yet complete — however, the will is strong to continue this journey of workplace improvement.
Working together, we’re busy developing next year’s $460 million budget that must consider the dual challenges of ratecapping and a rapidly expanding population.
The development activity across our municipality is unprecedented and has placed enormous pressures on the organisation.
Despite these challenges, it’s fair to say I shall miss the ‘cut and thrust’ of life at the Geelong City Hall.
I shall particularly miss working closely with the many other key organisations with similar goals for our community, and the local MPs of all political persuasions.
Most of all, I shall miss working with and leading the remarkable people of the City of Greater Geelong.
I’m confident that on the whole, our people are genuinely working together to help create a thriving community — in line with the organisation’s purpose and values. That’s a great achievement in itself!
So what won’t I miss? Well, certainly the constant emails and long hours spent in meetings.
Many have asked of my plans beyond Geelong, and most immediately I’m looking forward to a holiday in Europe relaxing with my very patient and supportive wife Beverly.
Beyond that, and after completing seven CEO roles, I want to step back a bit and finish writing a couple of books, and continue my passion of consulting to organisations on leadership.
I shall look back very fondly on my time at Geelong as a period of great transition, where I had the unique privilege to play a key leadership role in my ‘old home town’ after an absence of 30 years.
I wish the current mayor and councillors a successful term of office, and I shall watch from afar as this wonderful region continues to prosper and grow.