Dorset’s first shared chief executive

David McIntosh has been appointed as the first shared chief executive for Christchurch and East Dorset councils.

David, who has been chief executive of East Dorset District Council for the past year, takes up his new role from January, 2011. The landmark appointment sees him become the first shared chief executive in Dorset.
 
Interviews for the post were held on 17 September, with the appointment ratified at council meetings held yesterday (20 September). Councillors from both authorities acknowledged and praised the efforts of the other candidate, Michael Turvey, who has been chief executive of Christchurch Borough Council for the past fifteen years.
 
Both applicants are highly regarded, with excellent records of achievement. They faced a rigorous interview process from a panel containing leading councillors from both councils. It was unanimously agreed that David was the candidate with the right skills, qualities and vision to lead the councils and their shared-services partnership forward.
 
This partnership has been created in light of public sector funding cuts to allow both councils to continue providing their residents with the services they need, whilst also improving service quality and efficiency.
 
The creation of a joint chief executive will save each council around £50,000 annually, with further savings being made by sharing other senior management posts in the near future. It is anticipated that this will reduce the cost of running the two councils by around £300,000 and is the first stage in a planned package of savings.
 
Leader of Christchurch Borough Council, Cllr Alan Griffiths said: ”The partnership needs a single person to provide the strong leadership required and the panel was unanimous in selecting David. I would like to thank Mike Turvey for all the hard work he has put in over the past fifteen years and wish him well for the future.
 
Leader of East Dorset District Council, Cllr Spencer Flower, said: “I am delighted that David has been appointed as the councils' shared chief executive. He has over twenty-five years experience in local government and in the past twelve months his considerable talent, drive and ability have been obvious to all who have worked with him at East Dorset. There are some very challenging times ahead and I am confident that David is the right person to lead the partnership forward."
 
David McIntosh will manage the services of both councils, serving a combined population of over 133,000 people. However, each council will remain independent and keep their separate identities, retain their own councillors and budget - council taxpayers' money from one council will not be spent by the other.