Chief Executive and Corporate Leadership team

Chief Executive and Corporate Leadership Team

We are fully committed to being up-front, open and transparent about the individual roles and salaries of our chief officers, including the chief executive.

Corporate Leadership Team

Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) is the main officer decision-making body and works with and for the Councillors you elect, to run key local public services such as schools, roads, culture and tourism, waste and recycling collections, social care for older people and children, libraries and parks along with major regeneration and investment projects.

CLT is currently made up of the chief executive and five executive directors. CLT meets weekly and is responsible, among other things, for:

  • corporate leadership and direction
  • providing the formal response to Cabinet policy direction and the development of corporate policy and initiatives for Cabinet consideration
  • co-ordination and commissioning of Council-wide activity, planning, programme management
  • as part of our complex organisation, the CLT are collectively responsible for a gross revenue budget of circa £400 million and a five year capital programme of circa £275 million, a staff of approximately 5000 (including schools) and for the delivery of hundreds of services in Southend

A further 11 directors make up the extended corporate leadership team. They are listed on this page under the executive director they report to.

Colin Ansell - Chief Executive

A Head and shoulders photograph on CEO Colin Ansell outside of the Civic Centre. He is smiling at the camera, wearing a grey suit jacket and tie with a light shirt.

Colin is the chief executive and head of paid service. Colin is the most senior officer in the Council and through providing leadership, is responsible for the effective operation of the organisation to ensure the outcomes that best serve the residents of Southend-on-Sea, its businesses, students and visitors are delivered. Colin is also the council's returning officer and is responsible for the smooth running of elections in the area.

Joe Chesterton - Executive Director (Finance and Resources)

Joe Chesterton head and shoulders

Joe is the senior financial officer in the Council and holds the statutory Section151 role ensuring that the Council acts appropriately in all financial matters in line with legislation.

Joe is also responsible for the following services:

  • financial planning
  • financial management
  • internal audit
  • asset management
  • procurement
  • revenues and benefits
  • Emergency and business continuity planning

Directors reporting to Executive Director of Finance and Resources

  • Director of Financial Services: Pete Bates

Alan Richards - Executive Director (Environment and Place)

Alan Richards a white man wearing glasses, a white shirt and a dark blue suit jacket with a white ribbon pin badge on the lapel.

Alan is the council's strategic lead with South Essex Homes and registered providers, businesses, developers, colleges, universities and Transport East. He is also the council's strategic lead with the police and fire services, private sector landlords and other local business associations. Alan is responsible for a number of services including:

  • housing
  • economic development and skills
  • planning and building control
  • infrastructure, transport, highways and parking
  • climate resilience
  • community safety and CCTV
  • environmental services including waste services and street cleansing
  • parks and open spaces, the crematorium and cemeteries
  • regulatory services and private sector housing

Directors reporting to the Executive Director of Environment and Place

  • Director of Regeneration and Housing: Glyn Halksworth
  • Director of Growth and Planning: Kevin Waters
  • Director of Infrastructure and Environment: Richard Lumley

Michael Marks - Executive Director (Children and Public Health)

Michael Marks head and shoulders

Michael is the statutory Director of Children Services (DCS), and the strategic lead with schools, children centres and health services for children. Michael is also responsible for a number of services, including:

  • children's services
  • youth offending service
  • learning and education
  • early years
  • SEND services
  • public health

Directors reporting to the Executive Director of Children and Public Health

  • Director of Education, Inclusion and Early Years: Liz Hunt
  • Director of Children's, Social Work, Early Help and Youth Support: Lissa-Marie Minnis
  • Director of Public Health: Krishna Ramkhelawon

Mark Harvey - Executive Director (Adults and Communities)

Headshot of Mark Harvey

Mark is the statutory Director of Adult Social Services and the strategic lead with health, cultural partners and the voluntary and community sector. Mark is also responsible for a number of services, including:

  • adult social care
  • integration and partnerships
  • culture, including leisure, libraries, museums, art galleries and music
  • tourism, including Pier, foreshore, city centre management and events

Directors reporting to the Executive Director of Adults and Communities

  • Director of Communities, Culture and Tourism: Aida Esposito
  • Director of Commissioning: Emma Richardson
  • Director of Adult Social Care: Stephan Liebrecht

Claire Shuter - Executive Director (Strategy and Change)

Claire Shuter a white woman with chin length light hair. She is wearing a dark jacket and smiling at the camera.

The Executive Director (ED) for Strategy and Change is responsible for leading on the Council's transformation agenda that ensures the organisation and its staff are enabled to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people of Southend.

They are responsible for a broad range of service areas that include:

  • Corporate strategy (policy, strategic communications, insights, community engagement and service design)
  • HR, LD, and payroll
  • ICT and digital
  • Legal Services (including Monitoring Officer)
  • Customer services - including registrars and bereavement services
  • Transformation
  • Democratic services, member support and the mayoralty
  • Electoral registration and elections
  • Local land charges

Directors reporting to the Executive Director of Strategy and Change

  • Director of Digital and ICT: Carol Thomas
  • Director of Policy and Customer Experience: Suzanne Newman
  • Director of Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer): Susan Zeiss
  • Director of People and Transformation: James Partis

Structure chart

A structure chart from Chief Executive to Head of Service is available to view online.

Our top level organisational structure is also available to view as web pages.

This information is updated every six months and is a snapshot of our organisational structure at the date of publication. As a large organisation our staffing position changes frequently so please be aware that the position shown may not reflect the situation at the time of viewing. The data will next be updated on or by 1 July 2025.

Salary and expenses

The council's chief officer pay structure consists of 4 senior management grades as follows;

  • SMG1 (Chief Executive): £201,739
  • SMG3a (Executive Directors): £134,813
  • SMG3 (Directors): £104,464
  • Director of Public Health: £110,500 (NHS terms and conditions)

These are spot salaries and reflect the 'rate for the job'. However we may recruit to these posts on a 'development rate' for the first 12 months to allow the candidate to grow into the full role. This rate is calculated at 90%. This does not apply to the Director of Public Health, as this rate is in line with NHS terms and conditions.

The Chief Executive is entitled to 38 days annual leave (34 days for Executive Directors and Directors). They are entitled to be members of the Local Government Pension Scheme and pay 11.4% of their salary into this scheme. The council makes an employer contribution of 21.9% into the scheme.

Useful Links - Employee pay policy and structure

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