Case Studies

Melton City Council

Case Study: Strategic Executive Appointments at Melton City Council

Overview

Galvin-Rowley Executive (GRE) was engaged by Melton City Council, one of Victoria’s fastest-growing municipalities, to support the strategic appointment of senior leadership across multiple key portfolios. With Melton experiencing rapid population growth and evolving community needs, the Council required experienced, values-aligned leaders to guide its transformation.

This ongoing partnership reflects GRE’s commitment to building long-term relationships with local government clients and delivering tailored leadership solutions that align with each organisation’s unique goals, culture, and community impact.

The Challenge

In response to significant urban expansion and increasing service demands, Melton City Council faced a range of executive recruitment challenges, including:

Navigating complex governance requirements and public sector accountability
Attracting visionary leaders capable of driving innovation within a regulatory framework
Ensuring cultural alignment in a values-led, community-focused organisation
Addressing time-sensitive executive vacancies across varied operational functions

Our Solution

GRE designed and delivered a bespoke executive search approach for each role, grounded in a deep understanding of Melton’s strategic vision and organisational culture. Our methodology included:

Stakeholder Discovery Workshops to align on role requirements and cultural expectations
Tailored Search Strategies targeting both public sector executives and private sector leaders with transferable capabilities
Cultural and Competency Assessments to ensure long-term fit and leadership effectiveness
Discreet and Rigorous Evaluation processes, including psychometric testing, market reputation analysis, and comprehensive reference checks

Each appointment process was structured to ensure alignment with Melton’s values, community priorities, and long-term strategic objectives.

Key Placements

Through this collaborative partnership, GRE has successfully appointed a number of senior executives at Melton City Council, including:

Director City Delivery – Leading major capital works and infrastructure delivery
Director City Futures – Driving urban planning, strategy, and sustainable development
Director City Life – Overseeing community wellbeing, culture, and recreational services
Interim Head of People & Culture – Providing steady leadership during a period of organisational transition
Manager Procurement (x2) – Enhancing commercial effectiveness and integrity across procurement operations
Senior Integrity Officer – Strengthening governance, risk management, and accountability functions
Senior Lawyer – Delivering expert legal oversight in a complex legislative environment

Each appointment has supported Melton’s evolution into a modern, resilient, and future-ready local government entity.

The Impact

GRE’s partnership with Melton City Council has delivered:

Strengthened executive leadership across key portfolios
Improved capability to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population
Greater alignment between executive leadership and Council values
Continuity and stability during periods of transition and growth

This case study demonstrates GRE’s ability to meet complex executive hiring needs within local government, while maintaining a high-touch, culturally attuned approach. It further reinforces our expertise in senior public sector appointments and our commitment to leadership excellence that delivers long-term community outcomes

Melton City Council

What Our Clients Say

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

CEO, Port of Portland

Over the past decade I have engaged Jenny on a number of occasions to source talent across a variety of roles, specifically in HR. She is excellent in her client management as well as her candidate care.
She is responsive to the more challenging assignments and creates a realistic expectation for both the client and her deliverables. Given the service she has provided each time, I have consistently sought her out as a provider and truly value the relationship.