Terence Herbert has been successfully appointed as the Chief Executive of Conservative led Wiltshire Council.
This follows a period of consultation on a proposed change to the Tier 1 structure at the council which sees a reduction from two Chief Executives to a single Chief Executive leading the council.
Members of the Officer Appointments Committee panel approved Terence's appointment when they met on 26 June. They also approved an application for voluntary redundancy from Alistair Cunningham.
Terence will take up this role on 1 July and will be working with the Leader and cabinet to shape the organisation moving forwards and lead the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Terence brings over 25 years of local government experience to the role and has been with Wiltshire Council for over nine years. Prior to this he worked for the London Borough of Lewisham, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and North Somerset Council. During his time with Wiltshire Council he has held a number of roles; Head of Service for Safeguarding, Associate Director for Children's Services, Executive Director for Children & Families, Leisure and Communities, Corporate Services, HR and Organisational Development, and most recently, Chief Executive Officer for People.
Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said "I am delighted Terence has accepted this position. He comes with a wealth of experience and a great understanding of Wiltshire and the communities we serve. In this new structure the Chief Executive will provide a focal point of leadership for the council's recovery from the impact of COVID-19 and will support the council to refocus its future strategies and priorities.
"The response to COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the council's financial position and this, together with the impact on our communities and our economy, will mean challenges that require us to evolve and change as a council to meet them. Myself and the cabinet look forward to working with Terence in this new role."
Terence Herbert said "I am delighted to have been appointed as the Chief Executive of Wiltshire Council and I look forward to continuing to work with the Leader, members, staff and our partners to bring resilience and stability to businesses and communities across Wiltshire during this challenging time. The recovery from this pandemic will be my overriding priority and I am proud to be able to undertake such an important role. I am sure that working alongside the excellent team here at the council we will continue to maintain and improve our position as one of the best councils in the country.
The outgoing Chief Executive Office for Place, Alistair Cunningham, OBE will be leaving the council on 31 July. Alistair has worked for the council since 2001. Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said: "I'd like to thank Alistair for his commitment, hard work and leadership over the years, in particular in his role as the Chair of the Recovery Coordinating Group during the Salisbury incident. We wish him all the very best."
