Schermann takes on new role with city

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This article was published 16/09/2023 (1096 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The roles of general manager of corporate services and chief financial officer at the city will soon be filled by a new hire.

In a Friday morning press release, city manager Ron Bowles announced the hiring of Cory Schermann, who will begin his new role on Oct. 3.

Schermann is taking on the positions of both the general manager and financial officer roles in a position that amalgamates the two.

“As the city progresses on a path towards fiscal sustainability and robust infrastructure planning, Cory will be integral in helping our organization navigate change,” Bowles said in the release.

The city’s previous general manager of corporate services was Dean Hammond, who left the job to take the helm of executive director of the Riverbank Discovery Centre in February.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett told the Sun that the city was hoping to find someone with significant finance experience that would help the organization during a period of growth in the community and increased investments in infrastructure.

“We’re bringing in somebody with a little bit more background and wanted to work with the larger corporation that we’ve become,” Fawcett said.

In addition to being the CFO, Schermann will oversee the city’s corporate services division, which includes the finance, human resources, legislative services and innovation, technology and communications departments.

Schermann, who has a bachelor’s degree in business and a chartered professional accounting designation, has held strategic planning, financial management and team leadership roles in positions working for the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta.

And it will be from Saskatchewan where Schermann will be making the trip to Brandon, as he leaves behind his position as manager of strategic initiatives for the province of Saskatchewan.

In an interview with the Sun, Schermann said that he has been working his whole career for a position like the one at the city.

“The moment I saw [the position advertised], it spoke to me,” he said.

He said that he has worked numerous government positions in the financial stream and has experience in other areas of government as well, which he said has given him the “toolbox” that he needs to move into the role in Brandon.

Though Schermann will be packing up his life in Regina and moving to Brandon with his two kids, he said he is familiar with the community in Brandon and will take advantage of the activities the wheat city offers.

“Brandon is a growing, thriving community with good sport culture [and] recreation activities to keep me occupied in my free time as well,” he said.

Schermann said that he plans to spend his first part of the position getting up to speed with city initiatives and meeting his team, but said that his goal is to help the city work toward its goal of fiscal sustainability.

He will start in his new role on Oct. 3 and work out of city hall.

» The Brandon Sun