Sunshine Coast Council: Organisation defends appointment of former PwC partner Emma Thomas as chief executive

Sunshine Coast Council has defended its hiring of chief executive Emma Thomas, who had links to the council’s mass transit consultancy firm PwC, saying she got the job on merit.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council Mayor Mark Jamieson announced Emma Thomas as the organisation's new CEO in September, 2020.

Sunshine Coast Council says it hired new chief executive Emma Thomas on merit and her links to the council’s mass transit consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers had no bearing on her appointment.

Ms Thomas was an infrastructure and urban renewal partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia from May, 2019 to October, 2020, before she was appointed as the council’s new chief executive in November, 2020.

Sunshine Coast Council received a submission from PricewaterhouseCoopers in June, 2019, as the firm made its pitch to become the council’s business case advisers as well as economic and financial analysts for its mass transit project.

The submission received by the council in June, 2019, stated PricewaterhouseCoopers was “committed to seeing light rail on the Sunshine Coast come to fruition”.

Sunshine Coast Council sent a letter of acceptance to PricewaterhouseCoopers in July, 2019, advising the firm it had won the contract worth $438,553.98.

A council spokesman this week said Ms Thomas had not been part of the team that had worked on the advisory firm’s mass transit tender.

“The CEO did not have any involvement in the PwC’s Sunshine Coast Mass Transit Project – Business Case Adviser and Economic and Financial Analyses tender,” the spokesman said.

“The CEO was appointed on merit following a comprehensive selection process which is publicly documented and included two independent members on the selection panel.

“She was selected for the role having regard to her significant and proven skills, qualifications and leadership experience.”