Release Date:  12-Dec-2007

Bristol City Council today (Wednesday, December 12th 2007) announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive.

Jan Ormondroyd, currently Deputy Chief Executive at Hull City Council, will take over the role around Easter next year to coincide with the retirement of serving Chief Executive Nick Gurney.

She was appointed after a unanimous decision by an all-party panel of councillors, including the Leaders of the main political groups - Cllr Helen Holland (Labour); Cllr Steve Comer (Liberal Democrats) and Cllr Richard Eddy (Conservatives). Councillors were able to consider a very strong field of some of the country’s leading local government professionals.

Mrs Ormondroyd has been in her current role at Hull since 2004. Prior to joining them she was Chief Executive at Suffolk Coastal District Council and before that a Regional Director of Local Government Practice with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) - now part of the government’s Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

Other posts she has held over 20 years at a senior level in local government have included Director of Scrutiny and Performance Management at Bradford Metropolitan District Council and the roles of Head of Executive Office and Corporate Strategy and Partnership Manager.

Welcoming the appointment, Cllr Helen Holland, Leader of the City Council, said: "Jan has a proven track record of delivering improvements in service delivery and building strong partnership working. She will bring to Bristol the skills and experience needed to support councillors in our drive to make a real difference to the lives of local people - and promote our city regionally, nationally and internationally. The strong field of applicants that we attracted for the post is evidence that Bristol City Council has an improving reputation in local government and is an organisation where the best in Britain want to work."

Cllr Steve Comer said: " Bristol has secured the best possible candidate for the most important officer role at the city council. It was critical that we recruited someone who had a wide range of experience and could point to work done elsewhere to improve performance and service delivery. I am very pleased to be able to welcome Jan to Bristol."

Cllr Richard Eddy added: " All councillors on the panel were impressed at Jan Ormondroyd's track record in ensuring value for money for the public in her current and former authorities and her ability to work with councillors of all political parties. I believe we have made an excellent appointment that will be good for the city council and for Bristol as a whole."

John Savage, Executive Chairman of Business West, said: " I am delighted at the new appointment. Business West looks forward to continuing good partnership working with Bristol City Council and we wish the new Chief Executive every success."

Jan Ormondroyd added: " Bristol is one of Europe’s most beautiful and vibrant cities and I am excited to be joining the city council as its new Chief Executive. The council has an ambitious programme for the city and is determined to build on the significant recent progress it has made in improving the performance of its own services. I am looking forward to the challenge ahead and to working together with councillors from all parties and officers at all levels to ensure we deliver high quality, value for money services to the people of Bristol."

Author:  

Simon Caplan

For further autobiographical information on Jan Ormondroyd, her current role in Hull and any requests for interviews please contact Alex Adamson at Hull City Council on 01482 615002

For all media enquiries relating to this press release, please contact Corporate Communications on 0117 922 2650.

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