HARLOW Council has announced four key appointments to its new Executive Management Team which it says will transform the council and build Harlow’s future.

Last October the Leader of the Council, Councillor Dan Swords took the decision to restructure the senior management of the council. A recruitment campaign – building Harlow’s future – supported by recruitment specialists Penna, ran in November and December. The council says that there was huge interest in the four new roles with over 200 candidates of outstanding calibre seen.

When launching the recruitment campaign, Councillor Dan Swords, said: “I want Harlow to be the most transformative and impactful local authority in the country. One that truly changes peoples’ lives and doesn’t manage decline but rather leads the rebirth of an iconic New Town. That’s why we’re building a new Executive Management Team. A modern, agile team that delivers. A team that reflects the fact we do not act like a district of ten square miles but as an organisation that delivers well beyond its geographical bounds.”

He added that: “Harlow Council has for too long let our town down. We are turning that tide and our new Executive Management Team will support us to deliver our six missions and transform the council and our town.”

A series of rigorous final interviews were held last week by the council’s Appointments Panel. The panel was unanimous in making the following appointments:

Managing Director – James Gardner
James has been leading the council’s regeneration, inward investment and commercial development for the last three years and has been the Acting Head of Paid Service since October 2024. James has an expansive career in the private sector and local government with a very strong track record of delivering large scale regeneration projects, transformation programmes and leading large teams.

Executive Director (Housing focus) – Alan Townshend
Alan is an experienced long-serving Executive and Chief Executive and was the head of one of the biggest housing associations in the UK, Southern Housing, for a number of years. Alan started his senior career over 25 years ago with a short stint at Harlow as Head of Housing, before leaving for more senior roles. He has been working for the council since October 2024 and is leading for the council on the transformation of the council’s Local Authority Trading Company – HTS.

Executive Director (Corporate and Transformation Focus) – Julie Ellis
Julie has an extremely impressive career in both the public and private sectors. She worked at Essex County Council as Director of Change and led service transformation before moving into the private sector to lead people-focussed transformation as Senior Director, Organisational Excellence within a multi-billion-pound global company. Julie now wants to return to local government to deliver transformation to impact and change people’s lives for the better.

Executive Director (Regeneration and Community Focus) – Giles Clarke
Giles has an expansive career in the private sector in development and property – largely as an Executive Director at Grosvenor and Crown Estates. In recent times he has led commercial regeneration, housing investment, asset management and development at the London Borough of Newham as Director of Property.

All four will be taking up their new roles shortly. A special meeting of Council takes place this Thursday (30 January) to confirm the necessary appointments.

The three members of the Appointments Panel, Councillor Dan Swords (Leader of the Council), Councillor David Carter (Deputy Leader of the Council), and Councillor James Griggs (Leader of the Opposition), have issued the following joint statement:

“Our task was to create a senior team that will deliver for residents but also lead, inspire and nurture the development of staff. It has been an absolute pleasure meeting and interviewing an exceptional group of candidates who made the final selections a very difficult task.

“The combination of James, Julie, Alan and Giles provides a dynamic variety of talents and personalities that will drive us forward with excitement and an empathetic understanding of the needs of residents.”

The council is also currently recruiting to several new Assistant Director roles which will complete the new Executive Management Team over the coming weeks.

The appointments are to be confirmed at a special council meeting on Thursday.