Council to appoint Therese Manns as its new general manager.
The position of general manager of North Sydney Council has now been filled, following months of searching after the resignation of Ken Goldthorpe in May 2022.
Therese Manns will take on the role, with the appointment confirmed days after she stepped down from the same position at Randwick City Council.
North Sydney Council says Ms Manns has ‘extensive experience’ in local government, having worked at an executive level in both rural and metropolitan Councils, most recently at Randwick.
Although Ms Manns said she was thrilled to be joining the team at North Sydney Council, some have suggested there may be more to the change, with a Randwick councillor insinuating she may have been pushed out.
Independent councillor, Noel D’Souza, said at a recent Randwick Council meeting that, “Instead of being acknowledged and thanked, she was shown the door”.
This has been disputed by others at Randwick council, however, with other councillors expressing their appreciation for Ms Manns and her work.
Mayor Zoe Baker said Ms Manns combined strong financial, governance and leadership skills with a community focus and team culture.
“This is a challenging time for Council with major State Government and Council projects stretching our resources. We were impressed with Ms Manns’ track record in improving business processes and keeping Councils on track financially,” she said.
“We were equally impressed by her understanding of the importance of organisational culture and her achievements in building a strong team to support business transformation.
“I look forward to working with her and am confident that staff and residents will value her leadership and commitment to our community.”
“I am looking forward to experiencing firsthand the sense of community and active participation that makes this iconic harbourside local government area so special,” Ms Manns said.