• Swindon & Wiltshire Appointments
• Thursday August 31 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

West of England Combined Authority chief executive steps down

The chief executive of the West of England Combined Authority left her post today (Thursday, August 31) with a payoff in excess of £200,000.

The authority issued a brief statement this afternoon, announcing the departure of Dr Patricia Greer, who has been on a leave of absence since last year.

Dr Greer became the first chief executive of the authority in 2017, but chief operating officer Richard Ennis has been acting up since December 2022 – leading to concerns that the authority was paying two chief executives.

In its statement, the authority said that “Dr Greer was instrumental in establishing the Combined Authority and in securing significant funding for the region, in excess of £2 billion.”

It added: “Dr Greer is receiving a payment of £219,000.”

It said it would not be expanding on its statement.

The West of England Combined Authority is a combined authority made up of the local authorities of Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset.

The authority has its headquarters in Redcliffe, Bristol, and is led by the Metro Mayor of the West of England Dan Norris (Labour), who was elected in May 2021 replacing the authority’s first Metro Mayor, Tim Bowles (Conservative).

The authority’s functions cover strategic planning, skills, and local transport. It runs The Growth Hub, offering support to SMEs, and inward investment service Invest Bristol & Bath.

Pictured: Dr Patricia Greer at the Industrial Strategy event in Bristol in 2018, posted by West of England Combined Authority on Twitter