Surely it is time for Leeds City Council to appoint a female chief executive? - Julian Pearce

It is little surprise to those who know Tom, that he has landed a top job in the civil service, at the Department of Health and Social Care. Given his credentials and his passion for delivery, he is certain to make that a success.

Whilst Leeds’ loss in this instance is Whitehall’s gain, from a regional perspective, we now have the opportunity for a new leader to take the helm. Indeed, Leeds City Council has been advertising for the role of chief executive, with applications closing earlier in September.

The role of a council chief executive can be described as a ‘wearer of many hats’. They are effectively the most senior employees at a council and will need to work hand-in-hand with elected members, to effect change and deliver strategy. Indeed, the job description is at pains to point out that the successful applicant will be responsible for delivering on Leeds’ long-held vision to become ‘the UK’s best city’.

The new incumbent has the chance to shape strategic direction, take major decisions affecting how Leeds residents use services, and is ultimately responsible for the overall experience residents and visitors have.

So where might this fresh perspective and new experience be drawn from? There are some obvious names that many will gravitate towards, and possibly a few surprises too. The first port of call will be the existing executive team at the council. There are a smattering of high-profile and highly credible names who can be considered frontrunners.

Having experience of how the authority is run, the key people within the city, and any ‘skeletons in closets’ will stand a potential candidate in very good stead.

Somewhat astoundingly, Leeds has never had a full-time female chief executive, lagging behind its more enlightened counterparts in West Yorkshire, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees, who have all had women holding the top role.

Surely it’s time Leeds broke its duck on this front?

Recent analysis shows that just 17 per cent of senior leaders in British councils are female, with the number rising to 33 per cent of chief executives. However, that figure has stagnated and if some of the biggest councils in the land - such as Leeds - have never had a woman leading the executive team, there is still much to be done.

Managing the growth of the city in a sustainable way also needs to be a priority. The city centre has undergone a significant transformation over the past two decades, with the delivery of regeneration projects such as Quarry Hill, the complete re-imagining of its retail space (with the emergence of Trinity Leeds in particular), and the expansion of the city outwards in every direction.

Student housing seems to be an ever-increasing feature in the city centre and University Quarter, which will increase the vibrancy of those areas, but will also present potential challenges for other locations, as students migrate away from the Hyde Park and Headingley suburbs.

The fact that the city’s longstanding director of development, Martin Farrington, will also leave the council in September, means that a new chief executive will have to forge a strong relationship with his replacement. This will have a profound impact on the decisions the city takes and the overall direction for Leeds’ future.

What will also be beneficial for this role, particularly in a world where private sector collaboration is increasingly key to the success of an area, will be an acute knowledge of how public and private entities can work hand-in-hand. From this perspective, it would be refreshing to see a candidate bridge the all-too-common divide between the two.

Having a chief executive that has experience of delivering in the private sector, whilst also knowing the inner-working of local government, will be invaluable to Leeds and its ambitions.

Moreover, the role of a modern-day chief executive is about so much more than just the ability to run a large and sprawling organisation. It requires an acute understanding of the private sector, particularly at a time when cost pressures exist on the public purse and the public and private sector need closer union to reach shared goals.

Private sector investment is vital to Leeds’ success. Its business district plays host to a wide variety of thriving industries, including financial services, the creative sector and tech. The city’s growth is predicated on the foresight of developers, keen to regenerate low-grade parcels of land, and turn them into the thriving communities of the future.

It is only by embracing this opportunity that Leeds can accelerate its pathway to become the ‘best city’ its inhabitants and leadership so craves.

Julian Pearce is the founder of communications agency Yasper.