Thursday 1 October 2009

Female CEO appointed to head Cairns Regional Council

Lyn Russell, former CEO of Thuringowa City near Townsville, has been selected as the new CHief Executive Officer of Cairns Regional Council.

At a closed meeting this morning, a unanimous vote secured the first female to take the role.

The appointment follows a two month long nation wide search for a new CEO which attracted over forty applicants from all states of Australia as well as New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Mayor Val Schier said the applications received were of a very high standard with a number of local government managers, including Peter Tabulo, who is expected to return to his planning role.

“We were very pleased with the level of interest in the position and especially the calibre of candidates; in the end Lyn was selected on the basis of her excellent record as a CEO,” Cr Schier said.

“She has a particularly strong record of achievement in community engagement which the panel felt would be a great asset to Council.”

Lyn comes to Cairns from Wagga Wagga City Council where she has been General Manager since March 2008. Prior to that she was CEO of the City of Thuringowa.

She is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Management as well as the Local Government Managers Association. Russell was recognised as Telstra Queensland and Australian businesswoman of the year in 1996 for her work at Brisbane City Council, and has received the Public Service Medal for her services to the City of Thuringowa,

“Council is very pleased to have secured the services of such an experienced well respected local government manager and I look forward to the leadership, vision and stability that Lyn will bring to the role,” Cr Schier said.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Peter Tabulo for the fantastic work he has done acting in the CEO role for the past three months.”

The appointment concludes a destablising year which concluded in Noel Briggs resigning in disgrace after his handling of a secret radio deal on 4CA, which also cost Kerie Hull her Communication Manager's job.

Lyn Russell will take up the posistion on November 16th.

13 comments:

Tony Hillier said...

Way to go! Hopefully, this will signify the demise of the "boy's club" and a form of oligarchy that has ruled Cairns covertly for far too many years!

cbd worrier said...

golly, this town is run by women now!!! us fellas better start to watch out!

with val, kirsten, linda, di, so girl from Edmonton, and that dep mayor marg... the old boys club is truely dead and buried.

blakie betta watch his game.

Thaddeus said...

Arrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhh, the women are all in charge! Let's all clutch ourselves, just in case.....

Lillian at Yorkeys said...

Cairns awash in oestrogen, blokes! A truly scary event? Actually, I'd like to see a whole lot more participation from women in top roles - eg. Cairns Ports, The Airport [heavens - what a male-generated mess that is], TTNQ, Advance Cairns - that sort of stuff.

However, I fully acknowledge that just because a female is in a role, doesn't mean you get kinder, more win-win situations happening. Some women, who have had to claw themselves up the ranks so strongly, develop balls both inside AND out - which, in the fully-blown stage develops into the Margaret Thatcher Syndrome. Or, Female Howarditis, if you prefer the Oz example eg. Amanda Vanstone. I think unfortunately Anna Bligh is well on the way to developing this syndrome. It is accompanied generally by short-sightedmess, and always by deafness.

Another syndrome, suffered by those who have usually had conflicted/combative relationships with their mothers, is the Total Bitch Syndrome - whereby they view all other females as competition, & will do all possible to be Top Dog. These sufferers will display Top Dog characteristics to both male & females in any social/work group.

But, being of the female persuasion, I reckon you get about 80-90% of women (in Oz, at least) who just want simple, elegant, win-win & if possible fun, situations beneficial to all parties.

You blokes have Ruled the World for the last couple of millenia, & have a look at humans & the planet, & the evidence would be that Totally Male Rule hasn't quite worked (eg. wars, pollution, over-population, poverty, inequity, mental and physical illness, etc.).

So, I reckon 50-50 will do me. Balance.

Carolyn Harrop said...

Looks like the men are definitely loosing their girp!

Thornton On Spence said...

I do hope that this Lady has been warned about Cr Blake and his womanising as she looks a lot like his style of woman. He will already be shining up his Gold Chain and running down to Victor Mellick for a new outfit.
At least the Developers Friend Peter Tabulo didn't get the job and he can go back to what he does best although the way things are there are no Developers left.

Kerrie's ex-house cleaner said...

Thornton on Spence, I have his Gold Chain in my possession. I found it at Kerrie's place, in between the stained satin sheets the other day while I was house cleaning.
What I did notice though was that some links were well stretched, no doubt caused by an almighty struggle.
I am waiting for his call so I can return it.

Tony from Edge Hill said...

Council should use the opportunity to kiss off Tabulo. He's continually proven to be developer-friendly, and was KB's "approve anything" flunky.

The Headless Horseman said...

Welcome, Ms Russell, I hope you do a great job for Cairns. We have a great Mayor and some first rate councillors like Kirsten Lesina, Di Forsyth and Julia Leu who are accessible to the people and who care for their divisions.

Down Edmonton Way said...

Lillian,

Look at the pic of this new CEO, and a pic of the mayor.

There's no "flood" of estrogen here, looks like a flood of testosterone to me.

KitchenSlut said...

Don't speak too soon on no developers left Thornton there is a story in todays Compost (print edition) of Tom Hedley seeking a BSA licence again despite his receivership!

Congratulations to the new CEO on her appointment although some of the gender stereotype commentary above is bizzarre. Lillian seems to pine (not to be confused with pyne) for a somehow simplistic oestrogenically feral utopian society where all previous evidence is that life is short and brutal .... and women are the losers!

Somehow I doubt we will see the new CEO riding around town in a Mazda convertible?

Alison Alloway said...

Lillian, your description of "Total Bitch Syndrome" sounds like "narcissistic borderline personality disorder." Check it out. Research indicates more women than men are afflicted by this disorder. They are characterised by a string of broken relationships fanning out behind them to childhood. (A good indication of the disorder is a woman who is estranged from most of her family, including her own children.) Basically, these creepy, tantrum throwing women cannot forge mutually respectful relationships with anyone because of their belief in their own superiority and righteousness. They love to hate,plot, scheme and seek revenge. Joan Collins, the actress played one such woman "Alexis" in the old TV series "Dynasty." Their biggest victims are their own children who are often cruelly treated and neglected.

Mandy Moo said...

I agree, Down Edmonton Way.....too butch for words !
Not really Blakies style, he likes 'em a bit prettier.