The Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee met to interview candidates for the role of Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications. Following interviews and a closed session, the sub-committee recommended Juliane Weseman for the position, subject to consultation with Cabinet members.

Appointment of Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications

The sub-committee interviewed three candidates for the significant role of Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications. Following these interviews, and after a period where the press and public were excluded from the meeting due to the sensitive nature of the information being discussed, the sub-committee agreed to recommend Juliane Weseman for the appointment. Weseman is currently the Deputy Director of Local Government at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

This recommendation is provisional and will be subject to a two-working-day consultation period with all members of the Cabinet. During this time, Cabinet members can raise any objections to the proposed appointment, which must be reasonable and based on material fact. If no objections are raised, the appointment will be confirmed.

The recruitment process for this position began with an advertisement placed on 22 January 2026. A total of sixty-seven applications were received, with seven candidates longlisted. These candidates underwent assessments by an external assessor and participated in a selection assessment centre. The process also involved interviews with senior officers, psychometric assessments, and panels including internal stakeholders and young people. The Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, Gordon McFarlane, and the Interim Assistant Chief Executive, Maria Christofi, oversaw the recruitment process. The role of Director of Strategy, Policy and Communications is a budgeted post, with salary costs falling within the council's Pay Policy for 2026/2027.

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, who chaired the meeting, declared a non-pecuniary interest as she had previously worked with one of the candidates. Councillors Rita Chadha and John Gray were absent, with Councillor Amar Virdee attending as a substitute member.