Rome mayor fills key cabinet posts three months after taking office.

Rome mayor Virginia Raggi has appointed staffer and Movimento Cinque Stelle (M5S) activist Andrea Mazzillo as her new budget councillor three months after her election as Rome’s first woman mayor in June.

The appointment brings to a close months of uncertainty and backtracking that have seen three candidates for the post respectively resign, be withdrawn and withdraw.

"We're facing important challenges and Mazzillo can make a valuable contribution given his experience in local finance," Raggi said. "I'm... also naming him to show the (5-Star) Movement fields its most qualified militants".

Mazzillo, 42, is an accountant and former card-carrying member of the Partito Democratico who played a key role in Raggi’s election campaign and is considered a close aide.

His appointment has the blessing of the party leadership, but has been criticised by some for his political past and alleged lack of experience for the job.

Raggi has also appointed Massimo Colomban as her new head of municipally-controlled companies.

Colomban is the founder of Permasteelisa, a Veneto-based company and world leader in architectural cladding for buildings including Italian architect Renzo Piano’s Shard in London.

"I welcome Massimo Colomban to the cabinet team," said Raggi. "His experience will be useful to achieve our programme for municipally controlled companies. The aim is to rationalise them, optimise public services and eliminate waste, " she added.