GM, Planning and Development | City of Surrey
Search Overview
Organization:
City of Surrey
Sector:
Municipal Government and Public Sector
Location:
Surrey, British Columbia
Mandate Type:
Executive Leadership Search
Leadership Function:
General Manager, Planning and Development
Search Scope:
National Executive Search
Engagement Focus:
Urban Planning Leadership, Development Strategy, and Municipal Growth
Confidentiality:
Confidential Executive Search Engagement
The Business Landscape
The City of Surrey engaged KIRAH to support the appointment of a General Manager, Planning and Development during a critical period of unprecedented municipal growth and long term city building transformation.
As one of Canada’s fastest growing municipalities, Surrey was experiencing substantial population expansion, infrastructure investment, housing demand, commercial development activity, and regional economic growth. The evolving complexity of urban development and community planning created the need for experienced executive leadership capable of balancing long term vision with operational execution.
The organization required a senior leader capable of overseeing planning, development services, urban growth strategy, stakeholder engagement, and cross departmental coordination while supporting the City’s broader vision for sustainable and responsible growth.
The mandate carried substantial strategic importance as planning and development leadership would directly influence the future shape, infrastructure, livability, and economic direction of one of British Columbia’s most rapidly evolving municipalities.
The Leadership Requirement
The role required far more than traditional planning expertise.
The City required an executive leader capable of balancing urban planning strategy, development oversight, policy leadership, stakeholder management, municipal operations, council engagement, and long term growth planning within a highly visible public sector environment.
The ideal candidate required extensive experience operating within large scale municipal or urban development environments while demonstrating leadership capability across complex planning and development portfolios.
Equally important was the need for an individual capable of navigating political sensitivity, community expectations, development pressures, and executive collaboration within a rapidly growing city environment.
The Search Mandate
KIRAH was retained to conduct a confidential national executive search for the General Manager, Planning and Development role.
The assignment focused on identifying senior municipal and urban development leaders with experience across planning, land development, municipal operations, infrastructure growth, and complex stakeholder driven environments.
Rather than approaching the mandate as a traditional planning leadership hire, the search centered around identifying a strategic executive capable of supporting long term city building objectives and organizational leadership priorities.
The engagement involved extensive executive outreach, leadership evaluation, and close collaboration with senior municipal stakeholders throughout the recruitment process.
The Search Strategy
KIRAH conducted targeted outreach across major municipalities, regional governments, urban planning environments, development organizations, and infrastructure driven public sector institutions throughout Canada.
The process focused on identifying executives with strong leadership capability across planning, development services, land use strategy, and municipal growth management.
Candidates were evaluated beyond technical planning capability alone.
The assessment process focused heavily on executive leadership maturity, stakeholder management capability, political awareness, strategic planning approach, community engagement style, operational leadership, and organizational alignment.
Particular emphasis was placed on identifying a leader capable of balancing development growth pressures with long term community and municipal priorities.
The search process also prioritized candidates capable of operating effectively within a highly visible and politically sensitive municipal environment.
Candidates were assessed on adaptability, executive communication capability, relationship management approach, and their ability to contribute strategically across council, executive leadership, community stakeholders, and development groups.
The Appointment
The search resulted in the successful appointment of a General Manager, Planning and Development aligned with the City of Surrey’s long term growth and municipal leadership objectives.
The appointed executive brought strong urban planning leadership capability, municipal development experience, and executive management strength aligned with the City’s evolving operational and community priorities.
Their ability to support complex planning initiatives, development oversight, and organizational collaboration positioned them effectively within Surrey’s executive leadership structure during a transformational stage of municipal growth and infrastructure expansion.
The appointment represented an important investment in strengthening the City’s long term planning and development leadership capability.
The Outcome
Strengthened Executive Planning Leadership
Supported the appointment of a senior municipal leader capable of contributing strategically across planning, development, and city building initiatives.
Enhanced Municipal Growth Capability
Helped strengthen executive leadership infrastructure supporting large scale urban growth and development management.
Specialized Municipal Executive Search Execution
Delivered a targeted executive search process focused on urban planning and development leadership within complex public sector environments.
Long Term City Building Alignment
Identified leadership capability aligned with the City’s planning vision, development objectives, and long term municipal growth strategy.
Key Search Metrics
National Municipal Executive Search
Targeted outreach conducted across municipalities, regional governments, urban planning institutions, and development focused organizations throughout Canada.
Executive Leadership Evaluation
Comprehensive assessment focused on planning leadership capability, stakeholder management, executive maturity, and organizational alignment.
Municipal Governance Search Focus
Search execution tailored to politically sensitive and high growth municipal environments.
Successful Executive Appointment
Completed the successful placement of a General Manager, Planning and Development supporting the City of Surrey’s long term planning and development objectives.