Local Government: who’s new and who’s moving on?
GatenbySanderson’s quarterly update on the movers and newcomers in local government.
June 2024
• Michael Cullen named CEO of Stockport MBC
• Kim Bromley-Derry appointed interim Chief Executive of Basildon BC
• Gordon McFarlane appointed Director of HR and OD at Newham LBC
• Eve Roodhouse is joining LGA as Interim Director of Strategy and Reform
• Liz Jones appointed Director of Learning and Skills at Vale of Glamorgan Council
• Andrew Leigh appointed Director of Housing Liverpool City Council
• Nana Bonsu appointed Director of Relational Practice, Children and Learning at Camden LBC
• Jess Hutchinson appointed Director of Adults Health and Care at Hampshire CC
• Kate Blakemore appointed Chief Executive Kings Lynn and West Norfolk BD
• Micheal Coughlin appointed Interim Chief Exec at Surrey CC
• Chris Jackson appointed Director of Regeneration at Hull City Council
• Amy Buxton Jennings appointed Corporate Director, Communities, Governance and Change at LB Lambeth
• Katie Stewart appointed Executive Director for Environment at The City of London Corporation
• Sarah Good appointed Head of Major Projects and Development Basingstoke and Deane BC
May 2024
• Stephen Peacock has been appointed as Chief Executive of The West of England Combined Authority.
• Bristol City Council have appointed Paul Martin as their Interim Chief Executive Officer, replacing Mr Peacock (see above).
• Torfaen Councils’ Stephen Vickers will combine his role as their Chief Executive Officer whilst also taking the same role at Blaenau Gwent CBC.
• Rachael Shimmin has been elected as the new Chair of the Association of County Chief Executives. Stephen Moir was also elected as the new Vice Chair.
• Richard Bates has been appointed Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils new Strategic Director of Finance and S151 Officer.
• David Ashmore has joined Birmingham City Council as their new Director of Housing Management.
• Vicky McDermott has been appointed newly as the Director of New Housing and Communities with Newcastle City Council.
• East Devon District Council has appointed Tracy Hendren as their new permanent Chief Executive Officer.
• The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny has appointed Catherine Howe as their Permanent Chair.
• The Highland Council has appointed Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn each as Assistant Chief Executives of People, Place and Corporate respectively.
• Leonardo Tantari has been appointed Digital Director at Derbyshire County Council.
• Pam Parkes, one of Birmingham City Councils’ Commissioners has become President of HR body The Public Services People Managers’ association (PPMA) and has also stepped away from her role as Director of People and Transformation at Essex County Council.
• The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has appointed two new Executive Directors: Louise Footner as their E.D. of Residents and Communities, and Sue Cuerden as their E.D. of Corporate Services and S151 Officer.
• Paul Lawrence has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer at Edinburgh City Council.
• Wyre Council has appointed Sarah Palmer in the newly-created role as Director of Transformation and Change.
• Dawn Carter-McDonald’s role as Interim CEO at The London Borough of Hackney has been made permanent.
• Mel Barrett, soon-to-be formerly of Nottingham City Council is leaving to become CEO at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing.
• Dawn Hudd has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer at Arun District Council.
• Surrey Heath Borough Council has appointed Nick Steevens as its new Interim Chief Executive Officer.
• Damian Roberts, Nick Steevens predecessor at Surrey Heath, has moved to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council as their new Chief Executive Officer.
• Pendle Borough Council has appointed Karen Spencer as their new Director of Resources.
• Dale Owens has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer at Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council.
• Sukriti Sen has been appointed at Coventry City Council as their new Director of Children and Education Services.
• The City of London Corporation has appointed Alison Littlewood as its Executive Director of HR and Chief People Officer.
• Donald MacLeod joins Fife Council as their Executive Director of Education.
April 2024
• Scott Crudgington has taken the reins as interim chief executive of Hertfordshire CC.
• Directors Nottingham City Council’s director of legal and governance and monitoring officer, Malcolm Townroe, is to leave the authority.
• Shetland Islands Council’s director of children’s services, Helen Budge, is to retire in September.
• Richard Carr has started his new role as Woking BC chief executive having been appointed managing director commissioner
• Rotherham MBC chief executive Sharon Kemp has been named as commissioner for transformation at Nottingham City Council.
• Gordon Mole has been appointed as Newcastle-under-Lyme BC’s new chief executive.
• Walsall MBC has announced the appointment of three executive directors. Colleen Male has been appointed as executive director of children’s services. Dave Brown becomes executive director of economy, environment and communities. Judith Greenhalgh takes up the role of executive director of resources and transformation.
• Nick Graham has left his role at Buckinghamshire Council as director of legal and democratic services to become His Majesty’s area coroner for Oxfordshire.
• The national director of health and wellbeing at Public Health Wales, Professor Jim McManus has been appointed as the new chair of Pact (the Prison Advice and Care Trust)
• Wiltshire Council boss Terence Herbert has been named as Surrey CC’s chief executive.
• Philip Nell has been appointed to take on the role of strategic director of place, prosperity and sustainability at Birmingham City Council.
• Pete Shakespear has been announced as Staffordshire County Council’s new director of finance.
• Stoke-on-Trent City Council has appointed Carol Gibbs as director of housing, development and growth on a permanent basis.
• Aiden McManus has stood down as corporate director for property and delivery at Waltham Forest LBC.
• Tina Russell has been named as the new corporate director of children and young people at Herefordshire Council.
• Liverpool City Council has announced the appointment of Sara Pitt as permanent director of finance, technical and strategic and deputy section 151 officer.
• Susanne Millar has been appointed as Glasgow City Council’s new chief executive.
• Moray Council has announced John Mundell will take up the role of interim chief executive.
• Rishi Shori has been appointed as deputy chief executive of Birmingham City Council.
• Darryl Freeman has stood down as corporate director for children and young people services at Herefordshire CC.
• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has made two additions to its corporate management team. Janice Gotts will join as executive director for resources, replacing Nick Bell on his retirement, while Matthew Cumberbatch has been appointed as director of legal and governance and monitoring officer.
• A new director for children and families has been appointed by Staffordshire CC. Bernie Brown will join the authority from Bolton City Council, where she is director of children’s services, replacing Neelam Bhardwaja.
• Suffolk CC has announced the appointment of a new executive director for children and young people. Sarah-Jane Smedmor, currently director of children’s services at Central Bedfordshire Council, will be joining the council in July.
To discuss your current priorities and how our integrated executive recruitment and leadership development services can benefit your people strategy, please contact frazer.thouard@gatenbysanderson.com
Introducing:
Frazer Thourard,
Partner – Local Government team at GatenbySanderson.