Appointing a Manager of Technology and Data to Lead Strategic and Service Delivery at a Leading City Council
The Brief
Future Leadership partnered with a city council to find a candidate for the Manager Technology and Data role.
The candidate’s main focus areas were strategy, service delivery, and people. The council, with 500 employees, delivers over 100 different services to a vibrant and diverse community. Following a detailed briefing with the Director Experience and Capability, the council sought a leader who would foster workplace culture, align with organisational values, and promote a strong customer service focus. The role also required providing leadership, expert advice, and oversight in technology, communications, data, and information management.
Increase in General Management Skills
According to the American Management Association, only 14% of businesses consider themselves “well prepared” to handle a sudden loss in senior management. Add to that the fact that it takes at least four months to fill an executive role, and an Interim Executive experienced in operations makes a lot of sense!
Increase in Customer Experience Skills
These days experience is everything. What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And human touch. Our Interim Executives deliver a great experience while improving your customer experience!
Increase in People & Culture Skills
Organisations are constantly changing as they respond to internal and external pressures. Continual process improvement can enable team engagement and lead to growth. Interim Executives bring fresh eyes and effective industry best practice to the execution.
Increase in Data Analytics
Complex challenges require critical thinking and in the age of information-overwhelm it is imperative to have analytical minds at the table. These skills range across finance, data science, systems and more. An Interim Executive can be the right person to optimise your inputs to maximise your output.
The Process
A targeted search was conducted nationally, supported by a digital advertising campaign.
Candidates were sought from a combination of both public and private sectors, with a focus on transferrable skills. A diverse shortlist of six candidates, with three more presented for discussion, brought a mix of experience from council, for-purpose, government, technology, and consulting sectors. Four candidates progressed to selection panel interviews.
Emerging Capabilities
Technology Solutions
The ability to design, implement, and manage technology-based systems that solve organisational problems and improve operational efficiency.
Data Architecture
The skill of designing and managing the overall structure of an organisation’s data, ensuring that it is efficiently organised, secure, and accessible for analysis and decision-making.
Data Analysis
The ability to collect, process, and interpret data to extract useful insights, inform decision-making, and support business strategies.
Business Analysis
The process of identifying business needs and recommending solutions, including improving processes, systems, or organisational structures to meet business objectives.
Solution Architecture
The skill of designing comprehensive IT solutions that meet specific business requirements, integrating various systems and technologies to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.
The Outcome
The successful candidate was appointed as the Manager of Technology and Data and commenced the role in May 2024.
The appointee brought a wealth of experience, having previously held a similar role at a prominent government institution, where they were responsible for developing technology and data strategies and building a team from the ground up. Their strength in data governance and passion for contributing to the community made them a standout candidate for this role.
