The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Resources Committee met on Friday 28 August 2026 to appoint an interim Group Chief Executive Officer. The committee endorsed the rationale for appointing an interim to ensure continuity of leadership and recommended the Deputy Group Chief Executive for the role.

Appointment of an Interim Group Chief Executive Officer

The committee endorsed the rationale for appointing an interim Group Chief Executive Officer to provide continuity of leadership across the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and Transport for Greater Manchester. The committee recommended to the GMCA that the Deputy Group Chief Executive be appointed to this role, effective from 28 August 2026. This appointment is intended to ensure stability during a period of organisational transition and to guarantee the effective discharge of statutory responsibilities.

The rationale for the interim appointment was to ensure continuity of leadership, effective decision-making, and organisational stability before a permanent appointment is made. The report highlighted that an interim appointment would support continued delivery across the GMCA Group and provide assurance to staff, Members, partners, and stakeholders that statutory and corporate responsibilities remain properly discharged. The role of Interim Group Chief Executive Officer includes providing overall corporate leadership for the GMCA Group, acting as the principal officer adviser to the Mayor and Members, and leading the Group's senior officer arrangements. The postholder would also fulfil statutory roles including Head of Paid Service, Combined Authority Returning Officer, and Director General of Transport for Greater Manchester.

The committee also resolved that the Deputy Group Chief Executive be appointed to the necessary statutory roles as part of the Interim Group Chief Executive role. Furthermore, authority was delegated to the Director of People Services, in consultation with the Mayor, to finalise the interim appointment arrangements and address any temporary backfilling needs, subject to legal, financial, and governance advice. The committee noted the role profile and statement of suitability for Andrew Lightfoot in consideration of his appointment to the role of Interim Group Chief Executive.

The report considered alternatives to this approach, including leaving the role vacant, immediately moving to a permanent appointment, or advertising to appoint an interim from the wider market. The chosen approach of appointing an experienced internal candidate was deemed the most effective in mitigating risks to continuity, accountability, and strategic leadership while ensuring a swift transition. The remuneration for the interim appointment was proposed to be equivalent to the substantive Group Chief Executive Officer salary, which is currently fixed at £245,000.

The meeting also saw the appointment of GM Mayor Bev Craig as the Chair of the GMCA Resources Committee for the meeting. Apologies were received from Councillor Mark Roberts (Stockport) and Tom Ross (Trafford). No declarations of interest were made by attendees. The committee also resolved to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the consideration of certain items, citing the likely disclosure of exempt information.