Case Studies

City of Greater Dandenong

Case Study: Strengthening Audit and Risk Committee Capability

Galvin-Rowley Executive was engaged by the City of Greater Dandenong to lead the appointment of independent members to its Audit and Risk Committee.

The Committee is a critical governance body established under the Local Government Act 2020, supporting Council oversight across financial reporting, risk management, compliance and internal control frameworks.

Given the Committee’s independence and strategic importance, the appointments required highly credentialed individuals with deep public sector governance, audit and risk expertise. The process also required careful assessment of judgement, integrity, independence and the ability to contribute constructively within a complex local government environment.

City of Greater Dandenong

Case Study: Strengthening Audit and Risk Committee Capability

The Challenge

The City of Greater Dandenong sought to appoint independent Audit and Risk Committee members who could strengthen governance oversight in line with legislative obligations.

The brief required candidates with strong technical expertise across audit, financial management, risk and public sector governance. It also required individuals who could operate effectively within a community-focused Council environment and contribute to a high-performing, independent committee structure.

The Committee Charter specified that independent members must collectively bring strong experience in audit, financial management, risk and public sector governance. Galvin-Rowley Executive was tasked with identifying candidates who met these requirements while also demonstrating the judgement, independence and stakeholder capability required for local government.

Our Solution

Galvin-Rowley Executive delivered a rigorous and tailored search process for the City of Greater Dandenong.

The process included targeted market mapping across public sector, regulatory, governance, finance, audit and risk networks. Galvin-Rowley Executive drew on deep experience in senior governance and executive leadership search to identify candidates with the technical capability and public sector understanding required for the Committee.

Candidates were assessed against the Audit and Risk Committee Charter capability requirements, with particular attention to financial oversight, audit experience, risk management, governance capability and independence.

The assessment also considered cultural alignment, stakeholder judgement and the ability to influence at Board and Committee level. Galvin-Rowley Executive supported the Council selection panel through shortlisting, interview design and final recommendations, ensuring a clear and well-governed appointment process.

The Impact

The appointment of Ian Sargeant and Natalie Macdonald delivered a highly credentialed and balanced Audit and Risk Committee for the City of Greater Dandenong.

The appointments enhanced Council’s capability across financial oversight, risk management, public sector governance and assurance. They also strengthened alignment with legislative and Charter requirements, supporting greater confidence in Council’s governance and internal control frameworks.

The complementary expertise of the appointees provides robust oversight of Council operations and supports best-practice audit and risk governance.

Key Placements

Galvin-Rowley Executive supported the appointment of two independent Audit and Risk Committee members.

Ian Sargeant, Independent Member: bringing extensive senior executive experience across finance, governance and public sector operations. Ian’s background includes former Chief Financial Officer and senior executive roles across major government organisations, as well as independent Audit and Risk Committee roles with government bodies including IBAC and the Victorian Ombudsman.
Natalie Macdonald, Independent Member: bringing significant governance, strategy and public sector leadership experience. Natalie’s background includes senior leadership as Vice President, Strategy and Development at La Trobe University, former Director-General roles across major Queensland Government departments, and Board and Committee experience including Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Development Victoria.

Together, these appointments strengthened the Committee’s capability across finance, audit, strategy, risk management, public sector transformation and governance oversight.

What Our Clients Say

Jennifer’s management of the candidate side of searches is exemplary. Too often, candidates are left wondering where we are in the process, what’s next, and, without good advice, going into interviews. Jennifer and her team are the opposite of this. I felt informed about the process and given background on the hiring company and its executives, enabling me to move confidently into interviews. Jennifers always delivered on the promised timing of updates. Her attention to detail on the client side of the recruitment is precise and focused. It has been a pleasure to work with Jennifer, and I can highly recommend her services.

Allison Smith

Board Chair, Dandenong Market

I first met Jennifer as a candidate. Having touched most of the major search firms as a candidate for executive roles and experienced first-hand their generally low level of candidate care, I have had no hesitation in recommending Jennifer to colleagues who are searching for a new job, or in using her myself as a preferred provider when in need of HR staff.

Mike Johnson

Former HR Director, SKILLED Group

Jen has really invested in understanding our culture and what attributes to look for to ensure a seamless team-fit. In addition, her definition of quality and high-calibre is the same as ours.
That makes life so much easier, and means we are consistently forced to make tough choices at the end of a relatively short recruitment period.
What else could we ask? Highly professional, and a calmly positive influence on us all.

Russell Parker

CEO, Kikki.K
Former CEO, Hallmark International

Galvin-Rowley Executive is a boutique executive placement agency that delivers above and beyond service with integrity to its clients.
The Director, Jennifer Galvin-Rowley, takes the time to understand her clients’ needs and then searches through her amazing network of contacts to find the right people for the right jobs.
Whilst I was CEO of BeyondBlue, Jennifer and her team were a delight to work with and I wouldn’t go anywhere else if I was looking for a key executive.

Dawn O’Neil, AM

Former CEO, BeyondBlue

For nine months we’d searched in vain for a HSE Manager. This was a difficult project: candidates were scarce, our standards were high, and the role was in the country.
When Jen was referred to us, she stood above the other recruiters for three reasons: she dealt in specialist OH&S Managers; she knew how to fill rural roles; and she didn’t advertise—she searched.
Jen approached the task with imagination. Her ideas were unusual, yet so logical. She handled candidates with promptness and respect, and we swiftly found and hired a great fit. I therefore suggest you let Jen recruit your next manager.

Jim Cooper

Former CEO, Port of Portland
Former Managing Director and CEO, Terragen Holdings Limited
Chair Audit & Risk Management Committee and Non-Executive Director, Dandenong Market
CEO, Continence Health Australia