The Appointments Sub-Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Monday 28 April 2025 to discuss the shortlisting for the post of Strategic Director of Change and Improvement. The committee agreed on a shortlist of candidates to be invited for final interviews.

Strategic Director of Change and Improvement Shortlisting

The primary focus of the meeting was the shortlisting for the critical role of Strategic Director of Change and Improvement. This position is key to driving the council's improvement agenda and ensuring delivery against requirements set out in Ministerial Directions¹. The role is responsible for leading strategic, tactical, and operational efforts to support redesign, improvement, and innovation across the council, including overseeing the Continuous Improvement Plan. Ministers have expressed concerns about the council's current capability and capacity in driving continuous improvement and fulfilling its Best Value Duty².

The recruitment process for this post, which was advertised in February and March 2025, has been extensive, utilising the council's website, the recruitment consultants Penna Exec Search, The MJ, and social media platforms like LinkedIn. A targeted executive search was also conducted. The Appointments Sub-Committee had previously considered a longlist of candidates on 9 April 2025 and agreed to arrange technical interviews.

At this meeting, the sub-committee reviewed a report prepared by the recruitment consultants, Penna, which provided recommendations on which candidates should progress to the next stage. Following discussion, the committee agreed on a shortlist of candidates to be invited for final interviews. The decision to proceed with this recruitment exercise was a requirement of the Ministerial Directions, which mandate the initiation of a full and open recruitment for a permanent appointment to lead improvement work within one month of the Directions being issued. The role's responsibilities are designed to empower the organisation and ensure that the Mayor's priorities for Tower Hamlets are delivered.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Saied Ahmed (Cabinet Member for Resources and the Cost of Living), Councillor Sirajul Islam (Leader of the Opposition), Councillor Amy Lee, Councillor Maium Talukdar (Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning), Councillor Shafi Ahmed (Cabinet Member for Environment and the Climate Emergency), Stephen Halsey (Chief Executive), Matthew Mannion (Head of Democratic Services), Pam Parkes (Assistant Ministerial Envoy), Pauline Shakespeare (Interim Head of Corporate Human Resources), Julie Towers (HR Consultant), and Carolyn Downs (TAB Lead – Governance).