Dudley council has filled a number of vacancies within its senior leadership team, and will be making more appointments in coming weeks.

Aftab Razzaq has been appointed the Director for Legal, Compliance and Assurance and becomes the council’s monitoring officer. Aftab, who was born and bred in the borough, joins from Derbyshire Dales District Council where he was the Director of Governance and Corporate Services.

He has sixteen years’ experience working in local government and has served as a monitoring officer for the last seven years. 

Aftab said: “I was born and bred in the borough, and I have a real sense of place.

“The opportunity to be part of your ‘home’ borough at such an exciting period is a unique privilege, one which I am very much looking forward to.” 

John Macilwraith has been given the job of Director for Children and Young People. Having started his career in Birmingham, John has worked all over the country and also brings a wealth of experience to the council, having served as director of children’s services with authorities in Buckinghamshire, Cumbria and Sheffield.

He said: “I am delighted to be appointed to this role with Dudley Council and really looking forward to joining the team later this year. 

“I will be keen to work with members, partners and directorate colleagues in realising the ambition of Dudley Council for its children and young people.”

Two existing council officers have also been appointed following their successful applications. Kathryn Jones, who has worked at Dudley Council for three years, has been appointed as the Group Director for Housing and Assets. Nick McGurk has also been appointed as the Group Director for Communities and Growth, after four years at Dudley Council. 

Kathryn said: “I am honoured to have been successful in applying for this role and I am very much looking forward to carrying on with the important work with our new senior management team.” 

Nick added: “I am thrilled to continue this journey at Dudley Council, this is a fantastic place to work and holds a rich community of incredible people to serve.

“I am particularly excited about the opportunity to work closely with our community, partners and dedicated officers to maximise the opportunities that lie ahead for Dudley.

“My success in this role fills me with pride and great enthusiasm and I look forward to shaping the future of Dudley.” 

The four will work under new chief executive Balvinder Heran in a new streamlined management structure established as part of this year’s budget. 

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said: “Aftab and John are the first two appointments to work with our new chief executive as part of the council’s new operating model.

“They both have proven track records and great experience, and I am confident they will be fantastic additions to the authority. 

“I’m incredibly pleased to be retaining some of our existing talent in Kathryn and Nick, who have been with the council for some time and will continue to serve our borough with their strength and commitment,

“More appointments will follow in the coming weeks as we develop a strong new leadership team to drive the council forward and forge an exciting future for our borough and our residents.” 

All four roles are subject to formal ratification by elected members at a meeting of the full council on June 19.