Release Date:  26-Jun-2008

Bristol City Council today (June 26th 2008) announced the latest appointments to their new strategic leadership team - with the council’s new Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director of Transformation bringing expertise to the authority from outside local government.

Sheffield City Police Commander Jon House will be Bristol’s new Deputy Chief Executive while David Trussler, currently Customer Services Director at the government’s Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), is to take on the role of Strategic Director of Transformation, overseeing a three year change programme to modernise the way the council works and deliver better value for money to taxpayers.

Cllr Helen Holland, Leader of the Council, chaired the cross-party members appointment panel. She said: “These are very exciting appointments for Bristol that will make a difference to our city. The panel was really impressed with the experience, expertise and drive that both Mr House and Mr Trussler demonstrated. I am confident that they will bring fresh perspectives, new ideas and innovative ways of working to the city council, drawing on best practice from outside local government. We were particularly struck by Jon House’s extensive knowledge and understanding of partnership working with local authorities.”

City Council Chief Executive Jan Ormondroyd added: “I am thrilled to be able to welcome Jon and David to the new strategic leadership team here at Bristol. They both have very strong track records and their knowledge and expertise from outside of local government will prove invaluable in our drive to strengthen partnership working and modernise services. We now have the core of an extremely strong and able top team - and can start to deliver further change and improvement to benefit the people of Bristol.”

Before joining the Metropolitan Police 15 years ago, Jon House attended the London School of Economics and has three degrees, including a Masters in Business Administration.  From the Met he moved to Hertfordshire and then to South Yorkshire. Aged 37, he was one of the youngest police commanders in the country when appointed as head of Sheffield South policing district three and a half years ago. He is married with two children. He said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to work for Bristol City Council and make an impact on the people of Bristol.”

David Trussler, 47, has been leading the delivery of customer-focused services at VOSA, exploiting the latest e-enabled technology and marketing the Agency’s services to commercial customers. Mr Trussler joined VOSA in 2006 after serving as Head of Consumer Business at Ordnance Survey. He has extensive experience in e-business, programme management, sales and marketing and change management and his career has included several senior management roles in the private sector at IBM.

The council also today announced that Terry Wagstaff, its current Assistant Chief Executive, is to be seconded to serve as the Chief Executive of the West of England Partnership - the joint body leading on transport, strategic planning, waste management, skills and economic development issues across the city region.

A recruitment process for the city’s Strategic Director of Resources and Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods - the two remaining roles to be filled on the new top management team - is continuing and will be completed by the end of the year.

Author:  Simon Caplan

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