CHEO president asked to consider Ottawa city manager position

Alex Munter considered for Ottawa city manager The CHEO president and CEO says he is considering the job of city manager. CTV's Leah Larocque reports.

CHEO president and CEO Alex Munter says he is considering leaving his job to become Ottawa's next city manager.

Munter confirmed in a statement to CTV News Ottawa that the firm seeking candidates for the city's top bureaucrat approached him about the position.

"In recent weeks, I have been approached by a recruitment firm conducting the search for Ottawa’s next City Manager, the most senior staff member in municipal government," Munter said.

"I am flattered to have been asked to consider this position. I have lived and worked in Ottawa my entire adult life in roles that serve our community. So this opportunity requires appropriate reflection."

Munter, a long-time resident of Ottawa, was involved in municipal politics before becoming the head of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Munter was a councillor for Kanata in the 1990s and early 2000s and ran for mayor of Ottawa in 2006, coming in second place behind Larry O'Brien. He's been the head of CHEO since 2011.

The city is seeking a new city manager after the sudden departure of Steve Kanellakos, who resigned just days before the release of the inquiry report into the LRT, which excoriated Kanellakos's involvement in the $2.1 billion project. Ottawa's chief financial officer Wendy Stephanson is serving as interim city manager in the meantime.

Last Friday, the hiring panel tasked with selecting the new city manager, which consists of Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Couns. Shawn Menard, Tim Tierney and Catherine Kitts, received the confidential list of candidates from Odgers Berndtson, the firm hired to find candidates for the city's top job.

Munter said he has a lot to think about.

"I am energized by what’s ahead here at CHEO – the renewal of our strategy, the impending provincial investment in pediatric care, our new People Plan and the transformation of our campus. There is a lot of work ahead," he said. "At the same time, this important role for our beautiful city is an opportunity for me to thoughtfully consider. I will weigh the pros and cons and what is best for me, for my family and for CHEO."

Munter was paid a salary of $330,000 at CHEO in 2022, according to the provincial government. The city manager position includes a salary range of $270,488 to $392,655.

Kevin Keohane worked with Munter at CHEO, as the former president and CEO of the CHEO Foundation and calls him a "problem solver" who "never goes to people without having a solution."

"Alex is a guy who can bring people together,” Keohane says.

He says if Munter is the successful candidate it will be "a big gain for the city but a loss for CHEO."

Former Ottawa city councillor Diane Deans has worked with Munter in politics since before amalgamation. She says if the city hires Munter as the manager, it would be a "score" for this term of council.

"I think it would be an inspired choice. I really can’t think of anyone better to do the job. Alex has an in-depth knowledge of Ottawa city hall, but he hasn’t been there for the really tough years and he can rise above it," she said. "I think with a relatively new and inexperienced mayor and council having someone with Alex’s depth of knowledge and understanding and management – I think it is an inspired choice."

Deans says whoever is the successful candidate must have leadership qualities.

"You need somebody who is a collaborator, someone who is a team-builder; you need somebody who can bring council together. You need somebody who can reach across the political divides, rise above it, and recommend direction for the city that will be the best for the future."

The first round of interviews for the new city manager is scheduled to take place Friday, virtually. A second round of interviews with the shortlist of candidates will be held in person June 2 at an unspecified location, and the preferred candidate for the job will be presented to council June 9.

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Leah Larocque.