Carmarthenshire County Council appoints new Chief Executive

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council’s new Chief Executive has been appointed.
Wendy Walters will take up the mantle following the retirement of current Chief Executive Mark James, who been the Council’s CEO for the past 17 years.
The current Director of Regeneration and Policy was appointed today by the 74 councillors of the Full Council following a rigorous and objective recruitment process involving external senior recruitment specialists, and supported by Appointments Committee ‘A’.
There were three internal applicants for the post and one external applicant among the final four candidates. The external candidate, Michelle Morris, formerly worked for the authority as Head of Communications and is currently the Chief Executive of Blaenau Gwent.
Council Leader, Cllr Emlyn Dole, led the council’s congratulations to the new Chief Executive, saying she will be a positive and inspirational lead officer.
“I want to be the first to congratulate Wendy on her appointment,” he said.
“The three-day recruitment process has been challenging and demanding, and all shortlisted applicants have shown strength and ambition.
“We were clear that we wanted a chief officer who would play an integral role in shaping the authority, and strengthening our profile as an ambitious, forward-thinking council that delivers for our residents, businesses and partners.
“In Wendy, I am confident that we will do just that, with new vigour and a tenacity to drive our ambitions, motivate our workforce and deliver for our communities.
“As we move through a period of transition in the coming months, we will work closely together, alongside our retiring Chief Executive, to plan and ensure a smooth change of hands.
“These are exciting times, and I am sure that Wendy will help steer the county onwards and upwards.”
Wendy Walters has worked in local government for 16 years and in senior management positions across the public, private and voluntary sector for over 24 years.
The council’s current Director of Regeneration and Policy, she has previously served the council as Assistant Chief Executive and Head of Economic Development.
Wendy has played a key role in several regional collaborations, securing and delivering EU and external funding programmes and multi-million-pound regeneration developments for Carmarthenshire.
She is the current Deputy Returning Officer for elections.
Significantly, she is not only the first woman to be appointed as Chief Executive of the local authority, but is also fluent in Welsh.
“Both born and raised in Carmarthenshire, I am honoured and privileged to have been given this opportunity so close to home, family and friends,” said Wendy. “I am truly humbled to have gained the confidence of the Council to lead as its new Chief Executive and look forward to the challenges that lay ahead.
“As a local authority, Carmarthenshire County Council is not afraid to be bold and ambitious, and that is something that will drive me as I work with our dedicated team of officers and members to deliver quality services for our communities and exciting regeneration initiatives to forge a strong future for Carmarthenshire.”
Wendy will work alongside Mark James until his retirement on June 9.
Labour Leader and Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Rob James, stated “I wish to congratulate Wendy on her appointment as Chief Executive of our Authority.
“It has been a gruelling process for the four shortlisted candidates and it is a testament to the talent within the authority that three of our Directors were considered for the role.
“This appointment marks a new chapter in the history of this authority and we look forward to working with the new Chief Executive to ensure that the aspirations of our residents are met by this Council. We have been clear in the last year on the direction we believe this authority needs to take and we will continue to carry to hold officers, under new leadership, and this administration to account.”
The appointment of an internal candidate, particularly one who has worked so closely with her predecessor, suggests there will be no change in administrative direction for the authority. It will, however, take Ms Walters some time to detoxify the Council’s brand following the calamitous last few years of Mr James’ period in charge, during which it lurched from one public relations disaster to another. In addition, there will be significant pressure to move forward swiftly with ensuring the Council moves towards fulfilling the promise to be the most open and transparent in Wales.
In selecting a ‘continuity candidate’, councillors appear to have indicated that what they most want is, however, more of the same.