Shellharbour City Council’s newly appointed CEO Wayde Peterson. Photo: Shellharbour City Council.
Illawarra-born Wayde Peterson, who began his professional journey as a cadet at Shellharbour City Council 25 years ago, has now been appointed as its new CEO.
The announcement comes following a verbal report to councillors during an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday (4 November).
Mr Peterson has held the position of acting CEO since February, after the departure of CEO Mike Archer due to “personal matters”.
The 45-year-old brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, having previously served as council’s executive director business enterprises.
“I’m honoured to be appointed as CEO of Shellharbour City Council,” he said.
“Council plays an important role in delivering high quality infrastructure and services that help improve the quality of life of our community.
“I am excited to partner with the mayor, councillors, our excellent staff and the community to deliver on the vision of a sustainable and thriving city.
“Collaboration with staff, local communities, partners and government will remain central to how I lead and the outcomes we achieve together.”
It marks a proud homegrown milestone for Peterson in a city he had a hand in shaping.
He began his career at Shellharbour Council as its first engineering cadet in 2000, and previously spoke about that opportunity in a “Cadet to Career” series on council’s website.
Within the series he described how he worked within the technical services team, before moving into the services depot where he was guided through civil construction management.
“My cadetship experience shaped my professional career and helped me understand the value of working in a learning and growth-focused environment,” he said.
“I feel an awesome sense of pride in being provided the opportunity to start my career as a cadet engineer with Shellharbour City Council.
“I particularly feel a sense of pride in my role in helping transition Shellharbour into the thriving city it has become.”
Mr Peterson said Shellharbour had come a long way, having established the heart of the city with the Shellharbour City Centre and establishing Shell Cove as a project of intergenerational importance.
He said he felt great satisfaction in his contribution to those collaborative efforts.
“The unique thing about Shellharbour City Council is that we quite probably have the most challenging and rewarding portfolio of projects of any local government in Australia,” he said.
He said he felt privileged to be able to work on the kind of projects he dreamed of as a cadet engineer.
“Using Shell Cove as an example, very few people will get the chance across their entire career to build a harbour and a waterfront community, let alone create an economic catalyst that will deliver tourism, social, commercial and residential outcomes for decades to come,” he said.
“We are very lucky indeed.”
After following other opportunities, Mr Petersen returned for his second stint at council in 2018.
He is now a father to two boys Finn, 14, and Wes, 12, and is active in the sporting community as a junior football coach and has been a surf lifesaving volunteer for more than 30 years.
Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer welcomed Mr Peterson into the role.
“This is a pivotal time for Shellharbour City Council. We are setting the stage for a strong and vibrant future,” Cr Homer said.
“Wayde’s leadership skills, strategic vision and genuine commitment to community will be invaluable in helping shape that future.”
As CEO, Mr Peterson will lead the organisation’s staff and work in partnership with councillors, community and stakeholders.
