New Top Operations Officer Named In Hartford

Press release from the City of Hartford:

HARTFORD, CT — Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said he will be appointing Olusegun ‘Shay’ Ajayi as the City of Hartford’s new Chief Operating Officer.

Ajayi currently serves as the vice president and chief of staff at Hartford HealthCare.

Before this role, he served as director of operations at Hartford Hospital, and in various roles at The Hartford Financial Services Group.

He is a Hartford resident and a member of the Trinity College Board of Trustees.

Arulampalam will formally submit his name to the Hartford City Council for confirmation at the Feb. 26 meeting and Ajayi will join the city on March 18.

“Shay is passionate and driven, and he’s a proven consensus-builder who knows how to lead operations and initiatives for an executive team while also collaborating with stakeholders and members of the community. He worked closely with City leaders as we navigated the pandemic and other public health challenges, demonstrating his ability to manage difficult operations,” said Arulampalam.

Ajayi said he was excited about his new job.

“It is truly an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity to serve Hartford, and I look forward to collaborating with the thousands of public servants across all of our city departments and supporting their commitment to serve our residents," said Ajayi. "I made Hartford my home because it is a beautiful place with great people, people I've had the chance to learn from and work alongside. I believe in Hartford, I believe in this team, and I look forward to working with Mayor Arulampalam and his administration, advancing new initiatives and building on past efforts to continue making the City of Hartford a great city to live, work, and play.”

Ajayi will replace Thea Montanez, who will continue to serve on an interim basis until March 15.

Montanez had served as the chief operating officer since February 2020. Prior to that, she was former Mayor Luke Bronin’s chief of staff.

‘Thea has poured her heart and soul into serving the City of Hartford over the last eight years. She helped lead this city through some of its most unprecedented and challenging times, and she created and spearheaded initiatives that will make a lasting impact on our community. I'm deeply grateful that she has stayed with the city through this transition period,” said Arulampalam.

This press release was produced by the City of Hartford. The views expressed here are the author’s own.