Southwark Council selects Althea Loderick as new Chief Executive

11 March 2022

Southwark Council is delighted to announce that it has selected Althea Loderick as its new Chief Executive. The decision to appoint is subject to a formal decision by Council Assembly on 23 March.

Althea is currently Chief Executive of Newham Council and before that she was the strategic director for resources in Brent Council and the Chief Operating Officer in Waltham Forest Council.

The appointment follows an extensive recruitment process, which included stakeholder panels with key council partners, representatives from community organisations, young people and staff. The decision to select the Chief Executive was made by the Appointments Committee following interviews with shortlisted candidates, and the appointment will be formally voted on at Council Assembly on 23 March.

The recruitment follows the announcement that Southwark Council’s current Chief Executive Eleanor Kelly will retire this year, stepping down from the post she has held for a decade.

Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “I couldn’t be happier to welcome Althea to Southwark. Through the appointment process, her passion for Southwark, our values, and our ambitions shone through. I’m looking forward to working with Althea to deliver on all our promises to the people of Southwark.

“I'm also delighted to welcome Althea as Southwark Council's first Black Chief Executive. Our borough has one of the largest Black, Asian and minority ethnic populations in the country, and this appointment is another historic advance in our work to ensure that diversity is represented at all levels of decision making in Southwark. 

“I look forward to working with Althea to release even more of the incredible potential in our borough. We have already achieved so much under our outgoing Chief Executive Eleanor Kelly, and I know Althea will help take Southwark from strength to strength”

Althea Loderick said: “I am hugely honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to join Southwark and work with the Leader and members, staff, partners and the community to deliver together on the ambitious agenda.

“Newham has been an amazing place to work, and I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to support Southwark’s journey towards greater fairness, equality and social justice through the realisation of Southwark’s plans.

“I’ve been a Londoner all my life so know what an iconic borough Southwark is with an interesting past and a great future. I can’t wait to be part of shaping this decade in collaboration with the people who live and work here.”

A start date has not yet been confirmed.

Page last updated: 11 March 2022