He is the man Greater Bendigo's council turns to for complex, high-stakes tasks and he has just been named the city's next chief executive.
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Andrew Cooney will officially take on the top bureaucratic job reporting directly to elected councillors in December, a week before Christmas.
A former AFL Central Victoria chairperson, Mr Cooney has extensive experience in the public and private spheres before joining the council's leadership team as corporate performance director in 2018.
He has led work on multiple complex, high-stakes projects in recent years including the newly-built Galkangu GovHub on Lyttleton Terrace and was charged with the council's side of the 2026 Commonwealth Games delivery.
That job came to an unexpected end in July through no fault of Mr Cooney when the state government blindsided everyone by cancelling the Games.
He appeared to be a popular choice with council staff and civic leaders - including premier and member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan - to take on the CEO role.
"We've had lots of texts and emails from people, even outside the organisation, telling us we've made the right decision," Bendigo mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said.
X-factor was presentation that blew councillors away
Mr Cooney's shining moment during the job search was a presentation three shortlisted candidates made to the council, where they outlined their vision for their first 180 days in the job and the legacy they wanted to leave.
"Andrew talked about community," Cr Metcalf said.
"He gets what our community is about and what it is really looking for."
Mr Cooney obtained his Master of Business Administration from Deakin University in 2013, among other qualifications, but his links to Bendigo go back 24 years.
His career has taken him throughout much of the region including roles with Gannawarra Shire and Loddon Shire, both of which are north of Bendigo.
He has also worked with Lead On Australia and Coliban Water, along with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (now the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action) where he was an executive director tasked with partnerships and sector performance.
No huge, immediate changes expected
Mr Cooney wants to spend the next two months shadowing current chief executive Craig Niemann and consulting with council staff.
"He is the CEO, right up until he is not," Mr Cooney said.
He did not expect huge changes early in his tenure, given councillors were about to enter the final year of their four-year term.
"So it's really important for us to understand the projects that are important, the services that are important and the legacy that the council wants to leave," Mr Cooney said.
"We'll have our ideas about what that is going to be but to be able to work with council and celebrate their four years, that's pretty important."
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Mr Cooney saw his appointment as an endorsement of the council's current direction but nominated customer service and keeping services affordable as two areas he was passionate about.
"So while people might not see changes straight away I hope they will, over the term of my appointment, see differences in the way they do business with us," he said.