Newham Council to Appoint Corporate Director of Environment

Newham Council is set to appoint a Corporate Director of Environment and Sustainable Transport, a role focused on leading the council's environmental and sustainable transport initiatives, following interviews conducted by the Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee.

The sub-committee, comprised of Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Councillor Amar Virdee, Councillor Charlene McLean, Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, Councillor Mehmood Mirza, and Councillor Sarah Jane Ruiz, convened on Thursday, 17 July 2025, to interview candidates for the key role. The agenda for the meeting also included member declarations of interest, in accordance with the Members' Code of Conduct and DeclarationofInterestGuidance.

The council engaged Gatenby Sanderson, an executive recruitment agency, to assist in the search. Abi Gbago, Chief Executive, oversaw the process, with support from Paulette Lindsay-Greenidge, Strategic HR Business Partner. Councillor Sarah Jane Ruiz and Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE were consulted during the recruitment.

According to the reports pack, a total of 36 applications were received. Six candidates were longlisted, and three were shortlisted. The shortlisted candidates participated in an assessment process that included:

• A Youth Panel
• A Stakeholder Partner panel
• One-on-one interviews with the Chief Executive and the Mayor of Newham

The Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee previously met on 16 June 2025, interviewing two candidates but were unable to make a determination. One candidate from the initial interviews was deemed unsuitable. The panel agreed to reconvene to interview a candidate who had been unable to attend the 16 June meeting, along with another candidate who had been longlisted and was participating in the assessment process. The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider three candidates on 17 July 2025.

The recommendation from the sub-committee was scheduled to be subject to consultation with all Cabinet members for two working days, allowing them to raise any objections based on material fact. During this consultation period, Cabinet members could raise objections if they were reasonable, well-founded, and based on material fact. The salary for the Corporate Director of Environment and Sustainable Transport position will be within the range set out in the Council's Pay Policy for 2025/2026.