Innovation Case Study: Jacqui Weatherill, City of Greater Dandenong
Jacqui Weatherill, CEO
Building inclusive organisations that create lasting value for communities
Jacqui Weatherill is a respected executive leader known for building inclusive, high-performing organisations. As CEO of the City of Greater Dandenong, she leads one of Australia's most diverse municipalities, combining strategic vision, strong culture and community focus. Her career spans local government, sport and the not-for-profit sector, with a consistent commitment to developing people and strengthening institutions.
2026 MAVlab Innovation Awards Finalist:
Innovatio Pro Bono Publico Award: Established Leader (CEO), supported by Davidson.
Bold leadership and strategic vision:
Jacqui Weatherill demonstrates bold leadership through her ability to lead with clarity, compassion and conviction in increasingly complex social environments. As CEO of the City of Greater Dandenong—one of Australia's most culturally diverse municipalities—she has consistently focused on strengthening social cohesion, inclusion and community resilience at a time when many communities are experiencing rising polarisation, misinformation and social fragmentation.
Under Jacqui's leadership, social cohesion has been elevated from a community development activity to a strategic organisational priority. She has championed initiatives that bring together government, community organisations, faith groups and residents to build understanding, trust and connection across cultures, generations and backgrounds. This work recognises that social cohesion is not simply a desirable outcome, but a critical form of civic infrastructure that underpins community wellbeing, safety and economic prosperity.
Jacqui's leadership has required courage and foresight. Rather than avoiding difficult conversations, she has helped position Greater Dandenong as a leader in addressing complex issues such as belonging, inclusion and community tensions through proactive engagement, partnership and evidence-informed action. She has supported investment in innovative approaches to community connection and has encouraged her organisation to engage with emerging challenges, including the impacts of technology, misinformation and rapid demographic change.
What distinguishes Jacqui is her ability to articulate a compelling vision that others are willing to follow. She combines strategic thinking with deep empathy, creating trust across diverse stakeholders while maintaining a clear focus on long-term outcomes. Her leadership has helped build a culture that embraces diversity as a strength and views community connection as a shared responsibility.
In a period of significant uncertainty and change, Jacqui has demonstrated the resilience, judgement and future-focused leadership required to help both her organisation and community navigate complexity while remaining optimistic about the future.
Influence and enablement:
Jacqui Weatherill's influence is reflected in the people, partnerships and leadership capability she has developed throughout her career. She has a strong reputation for creating environments where others are empowered to contribute, grow and lead.
As CEO of the City of Greater Dandenong, Jacqui has championed collaborative approaches to complex challenges, enabling staff, community leaders and partner organisations to work across traditional boundaries. Her focus on inclusion and shared ownership has strengthened relationships across the organisation and community, creating the trust required to tackle difficult issues together.
Beyond her executive role, Jacqui has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to developing future leaders through governance and mentoring roles, including with Gymnastics Australia and the Macrobertson Girls' High School Foundation. She is recognised as a generous mentor and advocate who actively creates opportunities for others to build confidence, capability and leadership experience.
What distinguishes Jacqui is the combination of her strong character, boundless energy and unwavering belief in people. She approaches challenges with optimism, determination and a genuine "can-do" attitude that inspires those around her. Her authenticity, warmth and resilience create the psychological safety that enables others to step forward, contribute ideas and take on leadership roles themselves.
Her legacy is not only the outcomes she delivers, but the leaders, partnerships and organisational capability she leaves behind.
This work recognises that social cohesion is not simply a desirable outcome, but a critical form of civic infrastructure that underpins community wellbeing, safety and economic prosperity.
Agility, adaptability and growth:
Jacqui Weatherill exemplifies the adaptability and learning mindset required of contemporary public sector leaders. Throughout her career, she has successfully led organisations across local government, sport and the not-for-profit sector, continually expanding her leadership capability and applying lessons across diverse contexts.
As CEO of the City of Greater Dandenong, one of Australia's most culturally diverse municipalities, Jacqui has demonstrated an ability to adapt leadership approaches to meet rapidly changing community needs and increasing social complexity. She has supported new approaches to strengthening social cohesion, community resilience and inclusion, recognising that traditional models are often insufficient for emerging challenges.
Jacqui has also shown a willingness to embrace unfamiliar and emerging domains. Under her leadership, Greater Dandenong has supported advanced work exploring the role of artificial intelligence in local government, community engagement and organisational capability. Rather than viewing technological change as a risk to avoid, she has encouraged learning, experimentation and informed exploration of new opportunities.
Known for her curiosity, energy and solutions-focused approach, Jacqui creates a culture where continuous improvement is valued and people feel confident adapting to change. She demonstrates through her own actions that effective leadership requires ongoing learning, openness to new ideas and the confidence to evolve as circumstances change.
By modelling resilience, curiosity and adaptability, Jacqui helps her organisation navigate complexity while building capability for the future.
Impact and enduring value:
Jacqui Weatherill's impact is measured not by individual projects, but by the strength of the organisations, communities and leaders she helps build.
As CEO of the City of Greater Dandenong, she has embedded social cohesion, inclusion and community resilience into the organisation's DNA, helping one of Australia's most culturally diverse municipalities navigate complexity while strengthening trust, belonging and connection.
Jacqui has also built a culture of leadership, collaboration and innovation. Her support for emerging work in artificial intelligence and organisational capability demonstrates a commitment to preparing the organisation for future challenges while remaining grounded in community outcomes.
Across local government, sport and the not-for-profit sector, Jacqui has consistently invested in people and institutions, leaving behind stronger teams, more capable leaders and more resilient organisations.
Her enduring legacy is not a single initiative—it is the lasting capability, culture and confidence she creates in others.