The Appointments & Disciplinary Committee of Croydon Council met on Tuesday 21 July 2026 to discuss appointments to key senior roles within the council. The meeting's agenda focused on the selection and appointment processes for both an Interim Chief Executive and a permanent Chief Executive.

Appointment to the post of Interim Chief Executive

The committee was scheduled to consider the appointment of an Interim Chief Executive. The report pack outlined the job purpose for this role, which involves leading the development and delivery of the council's strategic objectives in alignment with the Executive Mayor's strategic plan and manifesto commitments. The role-holder would act as the main advisor to the Executive Mayor and Cabinet, supporting the delivery of political commitments through policy development and strategic planning. The report also detailed the required knowledge, skills, and experience, emphasising inspirational leadership, a demonstrable delivery record, and experience in leading transformation within a complex public sector setting. Key partner relationships, both internal and external, were also outlined, alongside statutory responsibilities such as Head of Paid Service and Returning Officer.

The report recommended an expected day rate range for the Interim Chief Executive of £1,200-£1,500, in line with the council's pay policy statement for 2026/7. It was also recommended that the committee undertake the selection process and agree an appointment from the candidates detailed in the exempt/Part B appendix. Any appointment would be subject to the notification process set out in the Council's Constitution. The report noted that the only alternative option considered was to appoint on an interim basis, as the current Interim Chief Executive was due to leave the council's employment on 2 September 2026.

Appointment to the post of Chief Executive

The committee was also scheduled to discuss the appointment to the permanent post of Chief Executive. The report for this item sought the committee's approval to agree the salary package and undertake the selection and appointment for this role. The job purpose for the Chief Executive mirrors that of the Interim Chief Executive, focusing on leading strategic objectives, advising the Executive Mayor and Cabinet, and fostering a high-performance culture to deliver the Executive Mayor's Plan (2026-2030). The required knowledge, skills, and experience were also detailed, highlighting the need for inspirational leadership, transformation experience, and strong financial leadership.

The recommendation was to agree a spot salary of £275,000 per year for the Chief Executive, which included the expected JNC chief executives' national pay award of 3.3% effective from 1 April 2026. The committee was also recommended to undertake the selection and agree an appointment to the Chief Executive post. Similar to the interim appointment, any permanent appointment would be subject to the notification process outlined in the Council's Constitution. The report stated that the only alternative option considered was to appoint on a permanent basis to this critical leadership role.

The agenda also included standard procedural items such as apologies for absence, disclosure of interests, and the approval of minutes from the previous meeting held on 30 April 2026. A portion of the meeting was scheduled to be held in a confidential session, with the press and public excluded, to discuss matters involving exempt information, as indicated by paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. This confidential session was to cover the minutes of the previous meeting (Part B) and the appointment to the post of Interim Chief Executive (Part B).