New GM takes the helm at Lismore City Council

In a break with tradition, the new general manager of Lismore City Council, Shelley Oldham, brings with her a suite of skills honed in the Victorian public service and a large international consultancy firm.

Ms Oldham, who starts today, worked for almost a decade as the senior vice president and head of public sector at Capgemini. In this role, she was responsible for ‘design and delivery of solutions that assist governments in Australia to be more effective and efficient’.

It was this that caught the selection panel’s eye, together with her time as director of strategy at the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance, which gave her ‘broad experience working in government transformation, stakeholder management and strategy’.

Lismore mayor Isaac Smith said she was selected from more than 120 applicants from the local government, state government and private sector across Australia and New Zealand.

‘We are privileged that such a high-calibre candidate has applied and accepted the role of general manager,’ he added.

‘Shelley brings with her a wealth of experience in finance and business in both the government and private sector.

‘We are facing some tough decisions ahead financially and this Council is also very keen to increase our focus on economic development, so she seemed like an excellent fit to guide us into the future.

‘Having someone with Shelley’s capabilities at the helm is exactly what we need to grow Lismore’s prosperity.’

The Mayor said it was a change for Council to appoint a general manager from outside the local government sector and believes Shelley’s objectivity will help Council improve processes and efficiency.

‘We felt her toolbox of skills is exactly what we needed in a leader to become financially sustainable and as efficient as possible,’ Isaac said.

‘We are very excited to welcome Shelley to our team and we are eager to see how she can shape and transform our organisation into the future,’ Cr Smith said.