Less than two months after being named London's acting city manager, Martin Hayward has been handed the position permanently.
Hayward took over as the city's top bureaucrat on an interim basis following the departure of Art Zuidema in February.
On Tuesday, council appointed the 56-year-old to the position permanently.
"I just want to thank council for their trust in me and also the senior leadership team for all their support over the last little while," Hayward said during the council meeting. "We have a number of items that we want to bring forward over the next little while to move the corporation forward a little bit and move our relationships forward as well."
Several council members were quick to offer their praise to Hayward.
"He is going to take the work of city council and the work of the city to the next level and I couldn't be more excited about the opportunities ahead," said Councillor Josh Morgan. "[Hayward] has integrity, he's thoughtful, he's articulate, and I think he calls himself a little bit frugal which is not a bad thing for the taxpayers of London."
"I like the way he thinks, I like the direction he is going to move the city," said Councillor Michael VanHolst.
Hayward, a native of England, began working for the city in 1984 and has served as treasurer and chief financial officer since 2010.
Mayor Matt Brown was quick to point out a handful of Hayward's major accomplishments.
"For the people who haven't heard of Martin Hayward, they've heard of his many accomplishments. They've heard of Budweiser Gardens, they've heard of the Covent Garden Market, they've heard of the medical innovation fund, and Martin was key in making those things happen," said Brown.
Hayward said one of his first orders of business will be to hire a replacement to take over his old job of treasurer and chief financial officer.
"I'm hoping we'll have some good news by next month," said Hayward.
