Top team shapes up with double appointment to Highland Council; £91K executives part of drive to slash management costs
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Council has made two more appointments to new posts of executive chief officer as part of a structural revamp it says will slash management costs.
Malcolm MacLeod takes up the role in infrastructure and environment immediately and Mark Rodgers will cover property and housing in the new year.
Five executive officers – Liz Denovan (resources), Carron McDiarmid (communities and people), Lesley Weber (health and social care), Stuart Black (transformation and economy) and Kate Lackie (governance and performance) – were appointed earlier this year.
The roles are part of a new structure of the council's senior management.
Each post commands a £91,196 salary.
The council has reduced senior and middle management posts in recent years saving more than £3.5 million and is now "reducing management layers further".
There is still to be an executive chief officer appointed to education and learning.
Originally from Stornoway, Mr MacLeod has been the council’s head of planning and environment for the past seven years and has worked in the Highlands for more than 20 years.
His most recent roles have included overseeing the delivery of many of the major housing and infrastructure projects across the Highland area as well as managing the council’s corporate change programme.
He said: “It is a privilege to have been offered the opportunity to continue to drive forward growth for the Highlands, while recognising the need to manage the beautiful environment we all love.
"I am looking forward to working with colleagues, members and the wider community to ensure we deliver the right developments and infrastructure in the right place and at the right time. The Highlands are a fantastic place to live and work in and I am really looking forward to the new role.”
Mr Rodgers, who is originally from Edinburgh, is currently chief officer (housing) with Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. He has more than 25 years’ experience within the social housing sector, across a range of housing associations and councils in Scotland and England.
He said: “I am delighted to be joining Highland Council. The Highland region is a fantastic part of the world. Ensuring our tenants have high quality affordable housing, and that we have enough of it, across all our Highland communities, is a big challenge. So is ensuring that Highland Council buildings are fit for purpose now and into the future. I'm looking forward to that challenge, and to working together with communities, councillors and my new colleagues to address these challenges."
A council spokeswoman said: "The new senior appointments will each have responsibility for a geographical area which will help to enhance local visibility and enable the council to become better connected to communities at a local level."
