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. 

Catherine Baxter commenced as the Group Executive, Public Transport Services on 29 September 2025. In this role she is responsible for one of Australia’s largest public transport providers, leading more than 3,000 employees to deliver over 90 million customer journeys annually across bus, metro, ferry and e-mobility services.

Catherine is an experienced C-Suite Executive and Chief Operating Officer and brings a wealth of knowledge from senior leadership roles across the transport and logistics sectors.

Before joining Council, Catherine was Chief Operating Officer at Team Global Express where she led 7,000 employees and 5,000 contractors to deliver safe, efficient operations and strong value for shareholders and customers. Her previous executive roles include Chief Operating Officer at Metro Trains Melbourne and senior leadership positions at Aurizon, UGL, Boral and Queensland Rail.

Catherine is passionate about driving organisational performance through strong leadership, a focus on employee wellbeing and a deep commitment to safety. She is also a strong advocate for future female leaders, supporting them through mentoring programs and championing inclusive, safe and positive workplaces.

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) and a Graduate Diploma of Management from Central Queensland University, as well as a Graduate Diploma of Intermodal Freight Systems Management. She has also completed executive education at Harvard Business School in Leadership change and organisational renewal and Leadership for Senior Executives. 

Information will be available soon.

As Group Executive, Environment, Parks and Sustainability Services, 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. 

Information will be available soon.

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.