The Chamberlain News

Birmingham council appoints new executives to drive forward Kerslake reforms

Birmingham City Council has appointed two new senior officers to help drive forward the Kerslake governance reforms and the Future Council programme.

Angela Probert has been named strategic director for change and corporate services, while the new assistant chief executive is Piali DasGupta.

The appointments come in response to a recommendation in Lord Kerslake’s report, backed by the Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel, which said the council needed more strategic capacity to ensure that it could deliver its improvement programme.

Advertisements for the new posts were placed in July after the improvement panel criticised council leader Sir Albert Bore for moving too slowly to recruit senior management. The cost of employing the two new officers will be covered by a £4.5 million Government grant to help the council meet the cost of implementing the Kerslake reforms.

Ms Probert is expected to take over from Sarah Homer, the interim director of service delivery who took up her post in January. Ms Probert’s salary will between £138,000 and £153.000.

Angela Probert is Nottingham city council’s strategic director for organisational transformation and the lead officer on Nottingham’s Good to Great corporate transformation programme, which has delivered £55 million in savings over the past four years.

She previously held senior roles in the private sector after beginning her local government career with Sheffield City Council.

Ms Probert said:

I’m excited by this opportunity and by the challenges ahead. Over the next five years we must deliver the Future Council programme, deliver significant budget reductions, and realise the opportunities presented by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

With a track record in developing partnerships, Piali DasGupta is currently a senior adviser with the Local Government Association. Her salary at Birmingham will be between £82,000 and £91,000.

In six years at the LGA she has worked on a range of major issues including local government finance reform, adult social care funding, the City Growth Deals and most recently devolution.

She previously held senior roles with the Canadian Government, developing its £135 million Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

She said:

This city has so much potential and, after co-ordinating the LGA’s work on devolution, I’m looking forward to working with partners as we develop Birmingham’s future role in the region and beyond.

Birmingham City Council Chief Executive, Mark Rogers, added:

I’m delighted to welcome Angela and Piali and I’m confident they will make a significant contribution as we continue to transform the services we deliver for the people of Birmingham.