The Tower Hamlets Council Appointments Sub-Committee met on Monday, 18 August 2025, to discuss shortlisting candidates for the role of Director of IT. Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning (Statutory Deputy Mayor), was scheduled to chair the meeting. Much of the meeting was scheduled to be held in private due to the confidential nature of the information to be discussed.

Shortlisting for Director of IT

The main item on the agenda was the shortlisting of candidates for the Director of IT position. According to the report pack, the post was advertised in June 2025 on the council's website, the Penna Exec Search website, the Municipal Journal, Guardian Jobs, and social media. Penna, the recruitment consultants, also undertook a targeted executive search.

The report pack included a report from Stephen Halsey, Chief Executive, which stated that the Sub-Committee was asked to agree on a shortlist of candidates recommended by Penna to be invited for final interviews. The recommendation was for the Appointment Sub-Committee to consider the report by Penna, included in Appendix 1 of the report pack, and agree on a shortlist of candidates to be invited for final interviews.

The report pack noted that acting up arrangements were in place pending recruitment to the position, and that not recruiting to the post would not create the necessary stability.

The report pack also outlined the reasons for the decisions, stating:

The Appointments Sub Committee (ASC) is established with the following terms of reference: 'To make appointments to Chief Officer and Deputy Chief Officer posts in accordance with the council's Constitution and the agreed Recruitment and Selection procedure.'

The report pack also stated that for a Chief Officer (Corporate Director level) and Deputy Chief Officer (Director level) appointment, the Appointments Sub Committee shall comprise six Councillors, including at least one member of the Executive (Cabinet).

Other Business

The agenda for the meeting also included:

• Declarations of interest from councillors, including any interests that would restrict members from voting under Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992[^2]. [^2]: Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 disqualifies councillors from voting on matters where they are in arrears on their council tax payments.
• Confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 29 July 2025.
• Exclusion of the press and public from the meeting, as the remaining items on the agenda contained exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972[^3]. [^3]: Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 defines categories of information that can be exempt from public access, such as information relating to individuals, financial affairs, or legal proceedings.
• Confirmation of the exempt minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 29 July 2025.