Nigel McBride, former Business SA head, becomes Prospect Council CEO
Nigel McBride, who headed Business SA for seven years, has found a new calling as the CEO of an inner-city council.
SA Business
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A certain “cool” and an unashamed business focus were key factors in former Business SA boss Nigel McBride putting his hand up for the top job at the City of Prospect – a role ratified by the council on Tuesday night.
Mr McBride will start as Prospect chief executive in October, and said the area, and the council, ticked plenty of boxes for him.
“Prospect is the second-smallest urban council, but it’s ironically probably one of the most relevant communities in Australia internationally,’’ Mr McBride said.
“They have been listed for the sixth time in 2019 as a smart city by the Intelligent Community Forum.’’
Mr McBride said digitally, geographically and culturally Prospect was in a sweet spot.
“It’s five or six minutes to the CBD, Lot Fourteen, and the university sector.
“You’ve got the whole package here. It’s where people live, where their kids go to school, but they are knowledge workers who want to be close to places like Lot Fourteen or the coworking spaces in Prospect with their high speed (internet) connection.’’
Mr McBride spent seven years as head of Business SA, after heading up law firm Minter Ellison in Adelaide.
In recent years Prospect has connected to the GigCity super-fast broadband network, rolled out free fast Wi-Fi in the Prospect Road Village Heart area, and last year won the Mainstreet SA Marketing Award for a digital campaign promoting the area.
Mr McBride said there was a major medium to high density development going ahead on Churchill Rd, a Kaufland supermarket was coming in and there were a number of great new businesses ranging from small cafes to the Palace Nova Prospect Cinema.
He said it was refreshing that the council was well aware of the need to be on the front foot.
“The council is very business-forward, they want inbound investment, they’re unapologetic about that.
“They recognise that currently their rate base is vastly balanced towards residential and they know they’ve got to balance that out with commercialical.’’
Prospect mayor David O’Loughlin said Mr McBride shared the council’s vision.
“Nigel won the position after impressing council’s CEO Recruitment Panel with his passion for our city’s potential, his considerable leadership abilities and his extensive strategic experience across many industry sectors,’’ he said.
“We were impressed by the high calibre of applicants, but Nigel stood out as an excellent fit for our organisation and the vision we have for the future of our city.’’