Anna Popovici appointed as shared Chief Executive for Wandsworth and Richmond councils

Wandsworth Council has appointed Ms. Anna Popovici as its new Chief Executive, a role she will share with the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The appointment, confirmed at a Wandsworth Council meeting on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, is a joint one aimed at cost-saving through shared staffing and leveraging Ms. Popovici's extensive leadership experience across both boroughs.

Ms. Popovici, who officially takes up her new role on July 25, 2026, was previously the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Children's Services. In her previous role as Director of Children's Services for Wandsworth, she led a major improvement programme that culminated in Wandsworth Children's Services achieving an Outstanding Ofsted judgement in 2026. She also delivered significant service improvement and transformation at both local and national levels in senior leadership roles at Cafcass and the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Since becoming Deputy Chief Executive of Richmond and Wandsworth Councils in October 2024, Ms. Popovici has been instrumental in corporate leadership across both organisations. She has played a central role in corporate leadership across both organisations, leading major transformation programmes and supporting the delivery of strong governance, financial resilience and high-quality public services. This experience suggests the shared Chief Executive role is intended to further enhance governance, financial resilience, and the delivery of high-quality public services in both boroughs.

The sharing of the Chief Executive role is a strategic decision designed to apportion all associated costs across the two authorities, as detailed in the public reports pack for the council meeting Public reports pack 22nd-Jul-2026 19.30 Council. While the specific impact on operational efficiency and decision-making processes is not fully detailed, the arrangement is expected to contribute to improved governance and financial resilience.

The appointment was formally noted in the agenda frontsheet for the council meeting Agenda frontsheet 22nd-Jul-2026 19.30 Council.