Newham Council is a step closer to appointing a new Corporate Director of Adults and Health, following a recent meeting of the Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee. The council is seeking a permanent replacement for the interim Corporate Director, Alan Adams.
The sub-committee, convened on Friday, 12 December 2025, interviewed candidates for the key role. According to the Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee 12th December 2025 Report, the recommendation of the committee will be subject to consultation with Cabinet members. Every member of Cabinet will have two working days to consider the proposed appointment and raise any objections. Any objection must be reasonable, well-founded and based on material fact.
The council partnered with executive search firm Gatenby Sanderson to support the recruitment process. The report indicates that twenty-three applications were received, with eight candidates initially longlisted. Technical interviews were conducted in November 2025 by Alan Adams, interim Corporate Director of Adults and Health for the London Borough of Newham, and a representative from Gatenby Sanderson.
Following the initial interviews, three candidates were shortlisted and invited to an Assessment Centre, which included a Resident panel, a Stakeholder Partner panel, and individual meetings with Paul Martin, interim Chief Executive, and Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham.
The report stated that after the Assessment Centre, candidates were notified whether they would proceed to an interview with the Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee.
The members of the Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee are Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham; Councillor John Gray; Councillor Sarah Jane Ruiz, Deputy Mayor & Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education & Sustainable Transport; Councillor Caroline Oladapo; Councillor Mehmood Mirza, Leader of Newham Independents Group; Councillor Rita Chadha, Cabinet Member for Health & Adult Social Care and Transforming Newham for the Future; and Councillor Susan Masters, Scrutiny Commission Chair.
At the beginning of the meeting, members were asked to declare any interests, in accordance with the Declaration of Interest Guidance.
The position of Corporate Director of Adults and Health is a budgeted post within the Council's establishment. Salary costs will be within the range set out in the Council's Pay Policy for 2025/2026.
