Halifax Regional Council has appointed Cathie O’Toole as the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the Halifax Regional Municipality. Ms. O’Toole assumes her responsibilities as CAO on Jan. 1, 2023, with her first day in the office on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.
“This is the right time and the right place for Cathie’s inspiring, collaborative leadership,” says Mayor Mike Savage. “Her dedication to public service, as well as a proven track record of effective financial and operational management and delivering results, will be invaluable to our amazing staff as we continue to embrace the many opportunities and challenges of our fast-growing municipality.”
Ms. O’Toole brings with her more than three decades of leadership and public sector experience – most recently as the General Manager of Halifax Water, a role she has held since 2019. From 2011-2019 she was the Director of Corporate Services/CFO for the municipally-owned water utility. Prior to joining Halifax Water, she worked with the Halifax Regional Municipality for 10 years in a variety of roles including Director of Finance/CFO and Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management.
In addition to holding a Master of Business Administration from Laurentian University and a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University, Ms. O’Toole is a Chartered Professional Accountant and has been recognized as a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (FCPA) of Nova Scotia.
“I want to thank Mayor Savage and the selection committee for the opportunity to take on this new challenge,” says Cathie O’Toole. “It’s a true privilege to work with the extraordinary team of dedicated professionals at the municipality. I look forward to building upon the progress that’s been achieved and collaborating with colleagues and partners in the shared commitment to provide exceptional service to all our residents.”
As the senior administrator for the municipality, the CAO oversees a municipal budget of over $1 billion and a team of approximately 5,000 employees.
Mayor Savage and seven regional councillors participated in the extensive candidate search process with executive recruitment services support from Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette.
Source: Release