We welcome all people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, abilities, ages and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTIQA+ communities.
We are an organisation that sees ourselves as part of our local community. Our community is at the heart of everything we do and we take every opportunity we can to give back to the people that live, work and visit the City of Greater Dandenong.
Executive Management Team
Council's Executive Team consists of:
Jacqui Weatherill - Chief Executive Officer
Jacqui Weatherill assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer at Greater Dandenong City Council in December 2022. She is a dynamic and forward-thinking senior executive, dedicated to enhancing organisational leadership and corporate culture to drive enterprise-wide transformation.
With over 20 years of experience in senior executive positions across not-for-profits, local government, and the public sector, Jacqui brings a wealth of knowledge to her role.
Having served as a CEO for 14 years, including leading the City of Stonnington and the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, Jacqui's expertise is well-suited to her responsibilities at the City of Greater Dandenong.
In her current position, she oversees a $300+ million business, manages a team of approximately 1000 staff, and coordinates the delivery of over 120 services to the diverse Greater Dandenong community, known as one of Australia's most multicultural municipalities.
Jacqui is a leader guided by values, committed to empowering her team and continually seeking to enhance her leadership skills. Her dedication was recognized in 2018 when she was named one of the Top 50 public sector women in Victoria.
Peta Gillies - Executive Director Community Strengthening
Peta Gillies is an executive leader with more than 20 years’ experience working across the public, private, not-for-profit and community sectors to strengthen services and improve outcomes for communities. She is recognised for leading multidisciplinary teams, building strong partnerships and shaping practical responses to complex local needs.
Known for her clarity, judgement and empathetic leadership, Peta brings people together around shared purpose. She aligns strategy, governance and delivery to create inclusive, accountable services that are grounded in community priorities and focused on lasting public value.
Sanjay Manivasagasivam - Executive Director City Futures
Sanjay Manivasagasivam is an experienced local government executive and qualified Civil Engineer with extensive leadership experience across infrastructure, city development, governance, community engagement, and strategic advocacy.
Sanjay has successfully led major infrastructure and organisational portfolios, contributing to the delivery of transformative projects and improved community outcomes.
Known for his collaborative leadership style and strong stakeholder relationships, Sanjay combines technical expertise with strategic vision to drive innovation, secure funding opportunities, and support sustainable growth.
Sanjay is recognised for his ability to lead diverse teams, integrate complex disciplines, and translate strategic vision into practical solutions.
Sanjay holds qualifications in engineering and business management and is a member of several leading professional institutes.
Marjan Hajjari - Executive Director, Strategy and Corporate Services
Dr Marjan Hajjari is a senior public sector leader with more than two decades of experience across Victorian state and local government, urban planning, strategic policy, governance and complex city-shaping projects. She joined the City of Greater Dandenong in February 2024, following more than eight years working in the Victorian State Government.
Marjan has extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams, providing strategic advice and delivering policy and planning outcomes in complex operating environments. Her work has focused on translating government priorities into practical programs and projects, while balancing community needs, stakeholder expectations, budget requirements and delivery parameters.
Marjan is recognised for her collaborative, evidence-informed approach and her ability to work with diverse stakeholders and communities to shape inclusive, practical and deliverable outcomes.
Marjan holds a Master of Architecture, a Master of Urban Design and a PhD in Urban Planning and Design from the University of Melbourne, completed in 2016. She is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University and was named among the Top 50 Women in the Victorian Public Sector in 2024.
Yuri Guzman - Chief Customer and Information Officer
Yuri Guzman joined the City of Greater Dandenong in July 2024 and brings extensive executive leadership experience across local government, healthcare, information technology, customer experience and digital transformation.
As Chief Customer and Information Officer, Yuri leads Council's Customer and Information portfolio, overseeing customer experience, digital technology, information management, cyber security, data governance and strategic transformation. He champions the use of data, technology and innovation to strengthen organisational capability, support evidence-based decision-making and deliver better outcomes for the community.
Holding a Master of Business Administration (MBA) specialising in Information Technology and Strategy, Yuri has led significant technology and business transformation programs throughout his career. Prior to joining Greater Dandenong, he held senior leadership roles at the City of Whittlesea, Hume City Council and The Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Yuri's priorities include the Core Systems Replacement Program, Customer Experience Strategy and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence to help build a more customer-centric, digitally enabled and future-ready organisation.
Mark Burke - Chief Financial Officer
Mark Burke joined the City of Greater Dandenong as Chief Financial Officer in March 2026. His role includes leading strategic direction, business innovation and operational excellence.
With more than 35 years of experience across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, Mark has held senior leadership roles in banking and finance, insurance, automotive, hospitality, tourism, retail, utilities, construction, crime prevention, early education and health that delivered strong commercial outcomes while keeping customer and community needs at the centre of decision-making.
His board experience includes serving as Chair of Gowrie Victoria since 2024, following two years as Chair of its Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. He recently completed six years on the Governance Institute of Australia Victorian Council and previously served three terms as a Director of Crime Stoppers Victoria, including six years as Audit, Finance and Risk Committee Chair and two years as Board Chair.
Mark is a CPA, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and holds a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance and a Bachelor of Business.
View Council's organisational chart - 3.6MB
Council, as a statutory body, is responsible for carrying out various powers, duties and functions under a wide range of legislation and municipal local laws. To provide for the efficient and effective function of the organisation, the Local Government Act 2020 enables Council to delegate many powers, duties and functions, particularly those of an administrative and operational nature, to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
