Revolving Door at the Top

We previously reported that Newham seemed to be going through Chief Executives at an alarming rate

In the six years since Ms Fiaz became mayor, there have been five Chief Execs. And, breaking news, we might soon have a sixth.

First there was Kim Bromley Derry. Fiaz inherited him from the Wales era and it was understood that she might want someone more attuned to her vision for the borough. Bromley-Derry stayed for the transition and moved on after a year.

He was replaced by Christine Kerslake, who seemed to do rather well out of Newham, (£200k for six months’ work).

She in turn was replaced by Althea Loderick, who managed to stay for three years before moving sideways to the same post in Southwark, (at a salary that was advertised at £60k below her Newham salary). There were those at the time who suggested that the reason Ms Loderick moved was because she and the mayor were unable to work together. Her apparent willingness to take a substantial pay cut rather adds weight to this suggestion.

In turn, Loderick was replaced by an internal interim candidate Colin Ansell. Ansell filled in the gap and duly applied for the substantive post. He didn’t get it. Instead, the job went to Abi Gbago who came hot-foot from a three-month stint in Bristol. Now it seems, Ms Gbago is on extended sick-leave. There are those who suggest that a breakdown in relationships between the mayor and yet another chief executive has caused the latter’s ill health. If this is the case, she cannot say that she wasn’t warned.

Will 2025 be the year for yet another chief executive?

In the period between 1995-2018 there were five chief execs in Newham, with an average stay of between 4-5 years. Amongst the most recent holders of the post, the average time in post is a little over one year. This is not a model to generate stability and consistency.

It may well be that Newham has been particularly unlucky, recruiting a string of chief execs who are incapable of doing the job, but they seem to have gone on to other roles without problems.

If the chief execs aren’t the problem, it must remain a possibility that the problem resides closer to home, maybe in the occupant of the mayor’s office.