Published on Friday 12 November 2021
Following a rigorous selection and recruitment process, BCP Council is delighted to announce two new senior appointments to help drive forward the council’s ambition to be a world class region and one of the best coastal places in which to live, work, invest and play for all residents.
- Jess Gibbons to the position of Chief Operations Officer
- Cathi Hadley will be the new Corporate Director of Children’s Services
Jess Gibbons, who is currently Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods at Wiltshire Council, is recommended as our new Chief Operations Officer.
Jess brings with her a wealth of experience of place services from both private and public sector organisations. In her current role at Wiltshire Council, Jess is responsible for a wide range of services including libraries, leisure, heritage, community engagement and development, as well as passenger transport, public protection, street scene and grounds maintenance services. She led Wiltshire’s Community Resilience Partnership through the pandemic and is currently leading community-led recovery plans through Wiltshire’s Community Areas and a leisure and cultural-led approach to regeneration of Trowbridge, Melksham and Salisbury. Previously, Jess has held a number of senior leadership roles at the London Boroughs of Camden and Bromley, in addition to roles in the private sector.
Jess said:
"I am excited and energised to be recommended for the post of Chief Operations Officer for such an ambitious council. There are so many aspects I’m looking forward to leading, in particular my part in delivering the outcomes of the Big Plan, progressing the council’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030, and supporting BCP to be the internationally renowned destination it aspires to. I was pleased to meet so many new colleagues as part of the selection process. The commitment and skills of those colleagues was hugely evident, and no doubt representative of the council as a whole, and I am delighted by the opportunity to be joining them."
Cathi Hadley is currently Director of Children’s Services for Northamptonshire and brings with her a wealth of experience of improving children’s services. In her current role, Cathi has worked with Department for Education Commissioners to drive the improvement agenda for the service and has worked to ensure the delivery of a new Children’s Trust. Prior to her current role, Cathi worked for Hampshire and Isle of Wight County Council where she was part of the senior leadership team that achieved an outstanding Ofsted rating and undertook a whole service transformation of children’s social care.
Cathi said:
"I’m incredibly pleased to be recommended for appointment to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services role at BCP Council. I know there will be challenges ahead, but I have already seen the confidence, commitment and resources the council is dedicating to this task. This prioritising of a brighter future for children and young people by the council is so important and one of the things that most attracted me to the role. I can see there is already a strong corporate parent ethos in place at the council, and a talented team within the Children’s Services directorate. I very much look forward to joining the organisation."
Chief Executive Graham Farrant said:
"Cathi and Jess were both unanimously supported by the formal selection panel as the preferred candidates to join us as our new Director of Children’s Services and Chief Operations Officer. I am really pleased with the high quality of external candidates that we have been able to attract to join us here at BCP Council to drive forward our ambitious transformation agenda to become a modern, accessible and accountable council and to deliver the Council’s Big Plan and Corporate Strategy.
"Cathi is a highly experienced senior leader. The delivery and quality of services for children and families, especially the most vulnerable, has been a core driver throughout her career and that matches our commitment to improve our Children’s Services for the benefit of the whole community.
"The panel considered Jess to be an energetic strategic thinker and leader who will collaboratively lead place services in partnership with members and stakeholders, to deliver our Big Plan and ambition to be a world-class city region.
Kate Ryan, our current Chief Operations Officer, is leaving the council on 5 December to take up a new role as Chief Executive of New Forest District Council.
Graham continued: "I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Kate who has served as a successful senior manager in BCP Council for the last two years, and the Borough of Poole before that, and also to Elaine Redding who has been our interim Director of Children’s Services, pushing for significant improvements to our services to young people across the BCP area and who has led the start of our improvement journey."
Kelly Ansell, Director of Communities is recommended as Interim Chief Operations Officer on an interim basis for three months to ensure service continuity and a seamless handover to the new Chief Operations Officer.