Jeroen Weimar

Jeroen Weimar is a Dutch-born British-Australian public servant. He is best known in the Australian state of Victoria for his leadership roles in Public Transport Victoria, the Victorian government's COVID-19 response, and the Victorian 2026 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

Early life

Weimar was born in the Netherlands, and raised in the United Kingdom. He earned degrees in economics and urban planning at the London School of Economics.

Career

Weimar began his career in the United Kingdom, working for organisations including the British Transport Police Authority, the Greater London Authority, and KPMG. He joined Transport for London (TfL) in 2001, and worked there for more than nine years. By 2008, when London Mayor Boris Johnson announced a ban on drinking alcohol on public transport, Weimar was working as TfL's Director of Transport Policing and Enforcement. Weimar went on to serve as the chief operating officer of FirstGroup.

Weimar relocated to the state of Victoria in Australia, when he was successful in his application to join Public Transport Victoria (PTV), of which he was appointed CEO following the departure of Mark Wild in September 2016 (acting since January 2016) and then subsequently VicRoads. Weimar served in that position until July 2019, when PTV and VicRoads merged with the Department of Transport, at which point he was appointed the department's head of transport services. Weimar resigned from the Department in March 2020, after the transport portfolio was reorganised and struggled with the role having to deal with the combination of VicRoads with PTV.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Weimar was called back to the Victorian public service to manage COVID-19 transport protocols. He was employed in July 2020 to oversee Victoria's then-struggling COVID-19 response unit and its contact tracing operations. In this role, he regularly appeared in televised COVID-19 updated alongside Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. By July 2021 he was being regarded as a "side-kick" to the Premier alongside other public figures who made regular media appearances during Melbourne's strict COVID-19 lockdowns, including Andrews, Brett Sutton and Jenny Mikakos.

In April 2022, Weimar stepped down from his role as Victoria's COVID-19 response commander. Following speculation, in June 2022 he was appointed chief executive of the organising committee for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which at the time were scheduled to be held across several towns in the state of Victoria. Weimar was removed due to his role being made redundant in July 2023 when Premier Daniel Andrews announced the cancellation of the Victorian Games due to poor management and significant increases in the projected cost.

In February 2024 he was appointed to lead Victoria's major housing strategy to help the State manage the housing crisis. His appointment attracted some criticism from a number of quarters.

Personal life

Weimar enjoys road cycling. He and his family are active members of the Sandringham Surf Life Saving Club, of which he was vice president until July 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weimar, Jeroen
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Australian people of Dutch descent
Australian public servants
British people of Dutch descent
COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
Living people
Public transport in Melbourne
Transport for London
Year of birth missing (living people)