Council starts chief exec search

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Members of Cornwall Council have formally agreed to set up a panel to oversee the appointment of a new permanent chief executive and/or head of paid service for the unitary authority.

John Pollard
John Pollard

Councillors at today’s meeting of the full Council backed a call from Council Leader John Pollard for the selection and appointment of chief officers’ panel to be appointed and convened as soon as possible.

The nine-strong panel, which comprises Council chairman John Wood, Council leader John Pollard; deputy leader Jeremy Rowe; Conservative group leader Fiona Ferguson; Independent group leader Neil Burden; cabinet member for finance and resources Alex Folkes; the chairman of the reputation and performance portfolio advisory panel Malcolm Moyle, the chairman of the finance and resources portfolio advisory committee Derek Elliott and Conservative group member, John Keeling, will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the appointment of the chief executive and/or head of paid service, including the salary level and recruitment process.

Paul Masters, previously the Council’s assistant chief executive, was appointed as the interim chief executive for a period of up to six months in February following the resignation of Kevin Lavery to take up the post of chief executive at Wellington City Council, in New Zealand.

Proposing the recommendation to set up the panel, Pollard said: “While the current interim arrangements have been very successful, they are not sustainable in the long term and we need to move forward as quickly as possible.

“Cornwall needs strong leadership and we need to act now to start this important process.”

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