With the recruitment process for Leeds City Council’s new chief executive well underway, our founder and director, Julian Pearce, recently wrote a piece for the Yorkshire Post about what the role means for our home city.
When researching the wider gender disparity in local authorities, we uncovered that only 17% of senior roles were held by women, which rises to 33% when it comes to female chief executives.
Interestingly, in between the piece being written and published, the council announced that Mariana Pexton – former director of strategy of resources – would be stepping up to the plate in an interim capacity. The question of who will fill the shoes of Tom Riordan permanently will be made public soon.
In the piece, we explore who the frontrunners might be, how experience of both public and private sector may play into things and how ‘knowing where the skeletons are kept’ will be invaluable.
As we approach the new chancellor’s first budget, there will be much focus on local authority spending, and how some of our biggest councils are placed to cope. The role of chief executive will be crucial for Leeds in the coming days, months and years.
The permanent appointee has the chance to shape strategic direction, take major decisions affecting how Leeds residents use services, and is ultimately responsible for how people experience the city. So where might this fresh perspective and new experience be drawn from?
To read the full article via the Yorkshire Post, please click here.