• Swindon & Wiltshire Appointments
• Wednesday July 20 2022
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol City Council chief executive resigns to lead Richmond and Wandsworth Councils

The chief executive of Bristol City Council, Mike Jackson, is leaving the authority to take up a new post as joint chief executive of Richmond Upon Thames and Wandsworth Councils.

Subject to formal confirmation by the full councils of each authority this week, the move would mean that Mike will leave the City Council this autumn.

Previously chief executive of North Somerset Council, he has been with the council since 2018, playing a key role in leading it through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mike said: “The new role is a tremendous opportunity for me personally and professionally, as it has been an ambition of mine to revisit life in London with my family and it was simply too good to pass up.

“I have been honoured to work in Bristol, a city and council with incredible vibrancy, ambition, and diversity in all senses of the word. It has been a fulfilling, challenging and invigorating few years, and I’ll be leaving with many fond memories and a tremendous respect for the hard work and dedication of our staff, members and partners throughout the city. I leave a better person for my experience here.

“I will be working with the mayor to ensure strong leadership arrangements are in place and that the council can continue to supporting Bristol and its citizens through these challenging times.”

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: “For the last four years Mike has been an incredible leader for Bristol. Since 2018, he has led a committed, resilient and high performing team through the most difficult of circumstances, not least the organisational response to Covid-19.

“He has brought grip, pace, professionalism and personal warmth to one of the toughest jobs in the city and should be proud to leave Bristol in a stronger, more stable place than he found it.

“He will be a hard act to follow but I know that his departure will inevitably create some fresh opportunity for other talented people to step up and into new career challenges. I’m working with Mike to consider all of the options that are open to us now, and we’ll share more soon.”