City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie’s rise from teacher to council boss

Geelong council’s boss has spoken of her rise to the top job, detailing how she has juggled motherhood and her career ahead of International Women’s Day.

City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie. Picture: Alison Wynd

Geelong council’s boss never thought she would one day hold a senior position in local government.

Chief executive Ali Wastie started in the workforce as a French and psychology teacher at secondary colleges in Melbourne.

Ms Wastie, who grew up in Melbourne, has worked overseas, teaching in Japan, England and France.

“I loved the kids and there were great teachers around me but I wanted to explore the opportunities to use my languages,” she said.

Ms Wastie completed her masters degree in diplomacy, hoping to work in foreign affairs, but pivoted into the Victorian public service.

“It was a career change but at the time, I felt like I was starting again and going backwards,” she said.

“I was also recently married and wanted to start a family so I felt a lot of pressure because my career wasn’t where I thought it was going to be.”

Ms Wastie worked at the Yarra Ranges Council and Bass Coast Shire before joining the City of Greater Geelong in June last year.

She said she had to make sacrifices to balance work and raising her two sons, who are now in their teens.

“After the birth of my first child, I was told that if I wanted to have a job, I had to come back full-time,” she said.

“I was also putting pressure on myself because I could have found a part-time role but it wouldn’t have been the level of superiority I wanted.

“If I had dropped out of the work force, I would not be a where I am today.”

New figures released by Geelong council show women hold 65 per cent of management positions in 2023, an increase from 52 per cent in 2021.

“I’m proud to say, we have good percentages of women holding leadership positions … but as a senior leader within the community, we also have to look outwards,” Ms Wastie said.

“We can see still high levels of disadvantage, by postcode and by gender.”

A number of major organisations, which are based in Geelong, are led by women.

Frances Diver has been the chief executive of Barwon Health since April 2019 while Tracey Slatter was appointed chief executive of the Transport Accident Commission in July last year.

Barwon Health chief executive Frances Diver. Picture: Alan Barber

TAC chief executive Tracey Slatter.

More women are also representing their communities in politics with three out of four state electorates covering Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast held by women.

Deakin Business School’s Dr Andrea North-Samardzic said women were taking on more leadership roles but the impacts of the pandemic continued to create challenges for females in the workforce.

“Women took on more domestic responsibilities at home during Covid but flexible working from home really helped them during that time,” she said.

“Returning to the office is causing some more challenges as child caring responsibilities disproportionately fall to women.”

Dr North-Samardzic said it was “essential” for young girls to see women in positions of leadership.

“You can’t be what you can’t see so having visible role models for young women is very important,” she said.

The Geelong Advertiser is highlighting issues affecting women in the region in the lead up to International Women’s Day on Friday.

The Addy is recognising the women who are the unsung ‘sheroes’ of Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast.

To nominate a woman in our community who is helping to support others, click here.

Originally published as City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie’s rise from teacher to council boss