The Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee of Newham Council is scheduled to meet on Monday 12 January 2026. The primary focus of the meeting will be the appointment of a new Director of Highways, Parking and Transportation.

Appointment of Director of Highways, Parking and Transportation

The sub-committee is scheduled to interview candidates for the significant role of Director of Highways, Parking and Transportation within the Environment & Sustainable Transport department. This position became vacant in July 2025, and an executive search firm, Penna, was engaged to assist in finding a permanent replacement.

The report pack indicates that forty-four applications were received, with six candidates longlisted and interviewed. Following these initial stages, four candidates were selected to proceed to the shortlist. These shortlisted candidates have undergone further assessments, including interviews with a Technical Advisor, a Stakeholder Panel, and a Youth Panel, as well as a one-to-one discussion with Rebecca Johnson, Corporate Director of Environment & Sustainable Transport.

The sub-committee's recommendation for appointment will be subject to approval from the Chief Executive, following consultation with Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE and Cabinet members. The report also includes Appendix B, which details the equalities data collected during the application stage for this role, showing a breakdown of candidates by gender, disability, and sexual orientation. The report states that the search endeavoured to encourage representation across genders and race. ¹

The meeting will also address the exclusion of the press and public for certain agenda items, as outlined in the Local Government Act 1972, as Amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985. This is due to exempt information regarding candidates, which is contained within Appendix A of the public reports pack.