News / Council
Search begins for next council CEO
Cathy Henderson has been appointed to run WorkSafe Victoria
Mark Phillips
MERRI-BEK City Council is looking for a new chief executive officer following the resignation of Cathy Henderson on Tuesday.
Henderson announced she would be quitting after six years in the job to take over as chief executive officer of WorkSafe Victoria.
She will finish up on October 24, triggering what is likely to be nationwide search for a new CEO to oversee a council with a budget of about $230 million and almost 900 staff.
An interim CEO will be appointed while the search is underway to identify and recruit a new CEO to the $360,000-plus per annum job.
Henderson, 52, joined the then-Moreland Council in 2019 after senior roles at the cities of Darebin and Port Phillip and at Waverley Council in New South Wales.
During Henderson’s leadership, the council navigated the Covid-19 crisis and delivered more than $200 million worth of capital projects, such as Balam Balam Place in Brunswick, the new Glenroy Community Hub, and Fawkner Aquatic Leisure Centre. She was also closely involved in the renaming of the city from Moreland to Merri-bek in 2022.
Most recently, the council has had to implement a refund scheme after wrongly fining tens of thousands of motorists for parking offences over 12 years.
Merri-bek Mayor Helen Davidson said the council was strongly positioned for the future at the end of Henderson’s tenure.
“Cathy is an empathetic and determined leader who drives powerful work through her team to deliver great outcomes for the Merri-bek community,” Davidson said.
“While it is sad to see her leave, we are in a much better position as an organisation thanks to Cathy.
“Cathy has been the driving force of customer service excellence, by putting our community at the centre of everything we do as a Council. Cathy is widely respected as an innovative and supportive leader”, said Mayor Davidson.
Henderson said it had been a privilege to serve as CEO of Merri-bek.
“Merri-bek is blessed with a wonderful, diverse community and a committed and effective council,” she said.
“It has been a privilege to work with the Mayor and Councillors, and lead the staff team – who strive every day to get better outcomes for the Merri-bek community. I know Merri-bek has a bright future ahead.”
No timeframe has yet been set for the recruitment and appointment of a new chief executive officer.
Henderson will be the third CEO of WorkSafe in less than two years.
The workplace safety watchdog has been without a permanent CEO since the shock resignation of Joe Calafiore in February after only a year in the job.
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