Bradley Thomas appointed as Hepburn Shire CEO

Published on 11 May 2021

At a Special Meeting of Council this evening, Bradley Thomas was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer at Hepburn Shire Council.

Mayor, Cr Lesley Hewitt, said she was pleased with Mr Thomas's appointment to the position following a national recruitment campaign that attracted a very high standard of candidates.

“Bradley has proven himself an effective leader during his time with Hepburn Shire. He joined the Shire in January 2019 in the role of Director Community and Corporate Services, and has been Interim CEO since January 2021,” said Cr Hewitt.

“This appointment shows Councillors’ confidence in the internal leadership of the organisation,” she said.

“Bradley brings more than 12 years’ experience in Local Government and has the skills and knowledge to successfully lead the organisation.”

Mr Thomas has worked at both the City of Greater Bendigo and Mount Alexander Shire Council in leadership roles. He holds a Master of Business Administration and is a Chartered Accountant.

“Bradley is also the President of FinPro, the peak body of Victorian Local Government Finance Professionals, further evidence of the high regard in which he is held in the field in Local Government,” said Cr Hewitt.

“Bradley has steered the organisation through the development of the Hepburn Together project, including the Community Engagement Policy and Council Plan and Vision, the 2021/22 Proposed Budget and successfully secured substantial grant funding.

“Councillors look forward to working with Bradley, the organisation and our community on finalising the Council Plan and Vision over the coming months,” said Cr Hewitt.

Mr Thomas said "I'm absolutely thrilled by the appointment, and I'm looking forward to continuing a program of change that we have been enacting the last couple of years, where we are improving our governance, community engagement and ensuring our community and customers are always forefront to our decision making".

"I’m excited about the opportunities for this Shire. We have a number of key projects to deliver across the Shire, and I look forward to working with Councillors and leading a fantastic organisation that contributes to an optimistic future for the Hepburn Shire community,” he said.