Council organisation and management

Overseeing the largest local government in Australia, Dr Kerrie Freeman is Chief Executive Officer of Brisbane City Council, serving a population of almost 1.3 million residents. 

Passionate about serving the community, Kerrie is committed to delivering Council’s priorities, including building better roads, improving public transport, keeping costs down for residents, and enhancing Brisbane’s lifestyle. 

As Chief Executive Officer, Kerrie is dedicated to ensuring Brisbane is and always will be a great place to live, work and relax. Kerrie is an accomplished senior executive with experience in leading large complex organisations, implementing large-scale digital transformation, major infrastructure delivery and leading organisational cultural improvement. 

Before joining Council, Kerrie was Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network with a workforce of more than 9,500 people. She was also the Chief Executive of West Moreton Health and has led health services in New Zealand, remote Queensland and quaternary health services at Children’s Health Queensland. 

Kerrie has a Doctor of Philosophy (Community Health), a Bachelor of Business and a Graduate Diploma in Public Health. She is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Professorship at Flinders University. 

Karl Hain was appointed Acting Divisional Manager for Transport for Brisbane in November 2024. This role is now known as Acting Group Executive for Public Transport Services. 

In this role, Karl leads one of Australia’s largest public transport providers, managing a workforce of over 3,000 employees and facilitating over 80 million customer journeys annually across bus, metro, ferry, and e-mobility services.

Guided by Public Transport Services’ vision of ‘every customer, every journey matters,’ Karl and his team are dedicated to delivering a world-class multi-modal public transport experience for the people of Brisbane. He has also led the successful introduction of Brisbane Metro services and Brisbane's New Bus Network. 

Since joining Brisbane City Council in 2010, Karl has held several leadership roles, including in City Standards and as General Manager for Engineering and Asset Management. Notably, he has played a key role in city-shaping projects such as the rebuilding of Shorncliffe Pier, the Story Bridge Safety Enhancement Project, the City Reach Boardwalk restoration, and Victoria Bridge Decorative Lighting. Karl also introduced Brisbane’s first fully electric bus service, the City Loop, and led Council’s 2023 Australia Day Storm parks and infrastructure restoration program. 

Before joining Council, Karl gained 17 years of leadership experience across various Queensland Government owned corporations and served as an Officer in the Australian Regular Army. 

Karl holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master’s in Human Resources, a Certificate IV in Competitive Systems and Practices (LEAN) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has also previously been a member of the Queensland Bus Industry Council’s Commercial Contracts Committee. 

As Acting Group Executive, Infrastructure Services Group, Tania Orr is responsible for maintaining and enhancing Council’s high standards of amenity and service delivery across Brisbane by leading Council's asset management, delivery and maintenance programs including infrastructure planning and design, project management and transport planning and operations. This includes the safe and efficient operations of the road network, asset management accountability for $38 billion in assets, delivery of fleet services, civil construction, quarry products, asphalt manufacture and laying, and delivery of park maintenance and city cleaning activities. 

Tania has more than 20 years' experience working in social infrastructure for the New South Wales and Victorian Governments, leading transport, planning, strategy, property, major projects, asset management, and infrastructure development and delivery and previously led Council’s Infrastructure Services, Transport Planning and Operations branch. 

Tania’s achievements include leading one of the largest infrastructure programs in NSW to develop and operationalise a new fast rail network connecting key regional cities (valued at more than $100 billion), delivery of a 10-year asset strategy (valued at more than $65 billion) for the regional NSW roads portfolio and was also responsible for negotiating complex commercial property arrangements, on behalf of the Victorian Government (valued at more than $600 million).  Since joining Council in 2022, Tania has led the delivery of Race to Gold – Brisbane’s Games Transport Legacy, the Story Bridge Restoration program and the Smarter Suburban Corridors Program. 

Tania holds a Senior Executive MBA from Melbourne Business School (University of Melbourne) and a 2019 Certified Associate in Asset Management – Asset Management (Engineers Australia). 

As Group Executive, Environment, Parks and Sustainability, Tim is responsible for the management of natural assets, waterways and parks, natural disaster preparedness and recovery, and leads the environmental sustainability of Council and waste management, resource recovery and waste minimisation initiatives.  

Tim has held a number of executive roles within Council, including Divisional Manager of City Administration and Governance (now known as Governance and Legal Services), General Manager, Natural Environment, Water and Sustainability, and General Manager, Asset Services.  All roles saw Tim lead large diverse teams with significant budgets to enhance the governance and public space outcomes, including strategic sustainability initiatives for Brisbane. 

Tim holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing), Certificate IV in Competitive Systems and Practices (LEAN) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is also the Executive Sponsor of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community of Inclusion within Council. 

In this role, David supports the current and future planning and shaping of Brisbane, including strategic planning, land use planning, development assessment, economic development, international relations and multicultural affairs, and Council’s 2032 Host City coordination and legacy aspirations. He provides leadership and professional expertise to assist Council develop policies, strategies and long-term plans to sustainably manage and integrate the demands of urban growth and economic development.

David has an extensive career in public service and the shaping of cities and places, responding to the needs of the communities that inhabit them. David is the former Chief City Planner, Wellington City Council, where he oversaw the design, development, resilience, sustainability and management of Wellington’s urban environment, including all planning, consenting and compliance functions, transport, infrastructure and waste operations, and the strategic design and policy direction to support the city’s future.

Prior to his time at Wellington City Council, David served as the General Manager, City Planning and Design at Adelaide City Council where he was central to the transformation of many of the cities key destinations and places including Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga, Rundle Mall and the Riverbank Precinct, and led Council’s Carbon Neutral Adelaide aspirations.

David is the Chair of the Board of City Parklands Services Pty Ltd, which manages some of Brisbane’s premier parklands including, South Bank Parklands, Roma Street Parkland and Victoria Park / Barrambin. David also serves as a Council Member of the Queensland Veteran’ Council, which oversees the management of Anzac Square, the Anzac Day Trust Fund and advises the Queensland Government on veteran matters.

David holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Tasmania and a Graduate Diploma of Landscape Architecture from the Queensland University of Technology.

As Group Executive of Community and the Arts, Krysten is responsible for leading the delivery of high impact, community-focused services across Brisbane. This includes the delivery of services that: 

• enhance the lifestyle of Brisbane by offering a diverse and vibrant range of cultural activities for residents and visitors 
• manage 600+ community venues, sport and recreation facilities 
• collaborate with community organisations to create an inclusive, accessible city for everyone 
• promote and facilitate opportunities for residents to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. 

Krysten is a highly experienced senior executive who has held pivotal leadership roles since joining Council in 2009. Prior to this appointment, Krysten was the Executive General Manager, City Standards, leading 1,900 team members to provide high-quality, value-for-money construction, maintenance and services to Brisbane. Krysten has also worked within Connected Communities where he led the response to support more than 600 community and sports facilities across Brisbane following the 2022 severe weather event and flood.  

Krysten holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queensland University of Technology, various leadership qualifications from Australian Institute of Management and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Pip is responsible for leading Council's Customer Services program, which delivers responsive, community-focused services that support the wellbeing, safety and daily needs of Brisbane residents and businesses, with customer experience at its core. 

The program manages the operation of Council’s customer contact centres and Business Hotline, ensuring timely, accessible and customer-focused support for residents and local businesses. By leveraging digital platforms, automation and smart technologies (from AI-enabled tools to advanced systems) the program streamlines processes and improves first-contact resolution, delivering faster and more personalised service. 

It also manages Brisbane’s library network, including 33 library branches, mobile and pop-up libraries, and the City Archives, providing inclusive community hubs that offer access to information, lifelong learning opportunities and meeting spaces. 

A wide range of regulatory services are delivered through the program to maintain the safety, cleanliness and amenity of Brisbane, including the administration of local laws, parking, environmental impacts and development activity. The program also provides operational oversight of Council’s community cemeteries and leads citywide community initiatives. 

Pip is an accomplished senior executive with more than 23 years of experience in public administration, policy and governance. She has previously held a variety of executive and senior roles in Brisbane City Council, as well as various positions in the State and Federal governments. This experience has given her strong knowledge of all levels of government and how the community engages with and interfaces across them. 

Pip is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

As Group Executive for Corporate Services, Anne is responsible for leading, developing and managing Council’s business functions, ensuring appropriate financial management and effective delivery of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), corporate property services, human resource functions, engagement and performance, support services and centre-led procurement. 

Prior to this appointment, Anne was Branch Manager for Compliance and Regulatory Services, Customer Services. In this role, Anne was responsible for managing Council’s regulatory response to matters across areas such as environmental health, built environment, animal management and natural environment. 

Before joining Council, Anne had 17 years’ experience working in various roles at the Queensland Government, including Executive Director, Strategy Support and Compliance with the Department of Environment and Science. Some of her major achievements include implementing a new financial assurance framework for mines, developing an intelligence-led risk-based compliance model and managing the underground coal gasification trial. 

Anne holds an Executive Master of Public Administration, Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Skills and Ethics, as well as a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Environmental Science. Anne is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

James provides high-level impartial advice and executive support to the Chief Executive Officer, Civic Cabinet and Council. He provides strategic leadership, direction and oversight of the Governance and Legal Services group.  

As a member of Council’s Executive Management Group, James also provides strategic professional advice as the key legal advisor to Council, contributing to the organisation's broader strategic and operational requirements including statutory, political, financial, procurement and human resource issues. As General Counsel, James manages the delivery of legal services to Council, ensuring all of Council's legal liabilities are met, and advises on, and ensures, the maintenance of appropriate legal standards within Council.  

James has significant experience providing legal advice across a broad range of commercial and government-related issues. 

Prior to his current role, James was the Chief Legal Counsel managing the City Legal branch, providing strategic legal advice to elected officials and senior executives on all matters.  

James has led and managed a large number of litigation matters in the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, the Queensland Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Queensland District Court. James is admitted to the High Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Queensland and holds a Bachelor of Laws from Bond University, a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.