No one was more surprised at Jemma Green's appointment to the role of Deputy Lord Mayor than Jemma Green herself.

The 38-year-old had not sought the position, but was propelled into it after the vote was deadlocked at last night's council meeting and contenders James Limnios and Reece Harley dropped out of the race.

She will act in the Lord Mayor position while Lisa Scaffidi awaits an appeal against an order disqualifying her from office over an expenses scandal.

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi is appealing an 18-month disqualification from office. ( AAP: Richard Wainwright )

So, who is Perth's new Lord Mayor?

Jemma Green grew up in Perth's eastern hills on a stud farm in Wooroloo where her father trained and bred racehorses.

She attended Eastern Hills Senior High School and studied a Bachelor of Commerce at Murdoch University before moving to London to work as an investment banker.

There, she studied part time, completing two postgraduate diplomas and a Masters in Sustainability at Cambridge University before moving back to Perth and meeting her husband Andrew Morton. The couple now have a 22-month-old daughter, Amélie.

In 2013, she started a consultancy firm called The Green Enterprise that provides strategic advice around commercial sustainability trends.

She is now Chair of Power Ledger, a Perth-based energy trading startup, and a Research Fellow at Curtin University, where her focus is on sustainable cities and renewable energy. She completed her PhD at the university earlier this year.

An anti-political candidate

Ms Green was elected to the City of Perth council in 2015 but said she was no natural-born politician.

"I'm not a member of a political party and I never have been," she said.

"I'm more interested in the issues than the politics.

"I was really motivated around the issues and wanting to make a difference at the City of Perth.

Ms Green said she was keen draw upon her background in sustainability in her new role.

She wants to improve the city's "activation" and liveability, flagging office vacancy rates, homelessness and parking as key issues that needed to be addressed.

"I think cities around the world are competing with each other now on who has the most attractive proposition to attract top talent and jobs," she said.

"I'm really focused on those things and I felt like last night, in the conversations that we had, that everyone's really focused on those things."

No desire for long-term leadership

She said after last night's shock result, the first person she contacted was her mother.

"She was a bit nervous for me but I talked her through it and I think she's a little bit less frightened," she said.

"I think I'm very passionate, very driven, I've got a strong sense of justice and I like dealing with people.

"Life's been a loosely-ordered chaos for some time but I've got a lot of support around me."

Ms Green said while she was eager to restore stability and credibility within the Perth City Council, she does not have aspirations to become the Lord Mayor on a more permanent basis.

"I am not considering running for Lord Mayor," she said.

"I hope to hand over the helm to the new Lord Mayor and hopefully the city will be in a stable condition when that happens."