FORMER Director of Growth Steve Park, recently appointed Executive Director – Place at Warrington Borough Council, will become the council’s Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service on an interim basis.
He will take up the role on 1 July, following the retirement of the current Chief Executive, Professor Steven Broomhead MBE.
At the Full Council meeting last night, Monday 16 June, members approved Steve’s appointment on an interim basis.
Steve, who hails from St Helens and still lives there, has spent more than two decades in senior leadership positions in local government. Prior to that, he held a number of senior roles in the private sector, predominantly in business change, finance and IT.
Starting his career as a graduate trainee chartered accountant, Steve has a strong track record of working with global businesses and brands. His first role in the public sector was as programme director in the Home Office, and then as Chief Information Officer at Manchester City Council, before moving to Warrington Borough Council in 2010.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “Steve has a strong track record, a wealth of local government knowledge, and a deep understanding of Warrington and its communities. He is also hugely motivated to make a difference.
“Steve’s skills and experience will be important as we embark on our improvement and transformation journey.”
4 Comments
I have to disagree with Hans Mundry. This appointment is ill advised, in light of the several failings of WBC, listed in the latest report. And it contributes little towards establishing trust and openness between the council and the electorate.
The word nepotism comes to mind ?
Why appoint some body who is already aware of the problems WBC has encountered over the last 10 years .
Not exactly a fresh pair of eyes on the issues is it ?
Steve has in my view always been a safe pair of hands in the work he has done.
This is an interim position and he has an opportunity to step up and take charge.
He realises the enormity of the role and the risks involved by taking it on.
You never know what’s occurring until you taken on a role like this but he is a very competent person for however long he is in the temporary position
“Interim” seems to have taken on a whole new meaning of the word in WBC Geoff; almost the opposite to the dictionary description. Look how long the retiring Interim CEO has held that position. Whether or not Steve Park is a safe pair of hands is I submit be side the point. He seems to currently hold 3 directorships in WBC & Birchwood companies as well as one in Cheshire & Warrington DF(GP) Ltd. The very critical recent report took the retiring Interim CEO to task for holding directorships, which it said was contrary to recommendations for local government officers. Moreover, he was a part of the retiring Interim CEO’s team which has come in for some pretty extensive criticism in that recent report.