MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire’s new CEO Carl Cowie has started retrenching staff.
The first of several axes fell last Friday, the 13th, when 17 people lost their jobs. It is understood more people will go this Friday.
The job losses come after a three-month review of the entire shire operations by Mr Cowie and his senior executives.
The shire’s four directors were called to meetings with the CEO on Friday 6 March to be told the fate of their departments.
The shire has about 1000 full-time equivalent staff.
The News understands that some directors, managers and middle management staff are among those to lose their jobs in the shake-up.
Departments to lose staff include infrastructure, engineering, governance, corporate support, IT, recreation, tourism, economic development, and social welfare.
The axe is expected to fall in the planning department this week.
Mr Cowie was appointed in late November to replace long-time CEO Michael Kennedy, who unexpectedly left the shire mid-November after almost 16 years. He had just been told by councillors his names was not on the short list of candidates when his job was advertised for the first time since his appointment in 1999.
Mr Cowie is the third CEO of the super shire created by forced amalgamation almost 20 years ago. He follows Warwick Dilley (1995-99) and Dr Kennedy (1999-2014).
Last year, the mayor Cr Bev Colomb said councillors were “looking forward to introducing Carl to the Mornington Peninsula community.
He will bring a fresh perspective to the leadership role”.
Cr Colomb said Mr Cowie “is an internationally experienced senior executive leader, who has used his finance background to lead significant business turnarounds”.
“Through strong personal management, his philosophy is one of a ‘hands-on’ approach to building high performance teams and executing a clear business strategy.”
Mr Cowie holds qualifications in economics, finance, an MBA from Monash Mt Eliza Business School, and studied at Harvard’s School of Public Health in Boston. He is a qualified accountant and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
