Will Lawler

Background

About Will Lawler

I am a senior executive with over 20 years of experience, 10 of those in leadership roles with the City of Gold Coast staff, population and Moreton Bay Regional Council (1,800 staff, population – two of Australia’s top-3 largest Councils – driving, integrating and leading sustainability and resilience strategies, policies, programs and projects within a broad civic framework. I also have management experience in private engineering consulting firms including SKM, PB, Babtie Group (UK) and Coffey. I have a post-graduate Masters-of-Business and Technology through the UNSW, a Diploma of Planning (QLD) and a Bachelor of Environmental Science. I round out these qualifications with a Fellowship of the Governor’s Leadership Foundation of South Australia (FGLF) and broader experience having worked as a peer reviewer for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on international civic projects, member of 2018 Commonwealth Games Village Sustainability Committee and the 2018 Commonwealth Games Legacy Committee, member of South-East Queensland Council of Mayors integrated planning and climate change committees and many more. I also have experience working in project steering committees including key projects such as the Gold Coast Cruise Ship terminal, Gold Coast light rail, cultural precinct redevelopment etc. My extensive experience extends to international representation, where I have presented on integrated strategic planning and policy approaches relating to sustainability and climate risks to many international conferences in Brazil, Chile, South Korea. A highlight of my career to date has been presenting at the United Nations Council of the Parties 2015, where I personally played a very minor role in the 2015 Paris Agreement. I have significant successful experience leading large, complex and multidisciplinary teams and driving cross-functional implementation programs within organisations together with practical hands-on experience in overseeing and directing related organisational cultural change initiatives.