Fresh direction for West Lindsey District Council’s leadership team

The new roles will focus on putting homes and communities at the heart of the agenda as it tackles inequalities and positions itself at the forefront of change.

Di Krochmal has been promoted to the role of assistant director of homes and communities after previously helping to shape the council’s housing and investment strategy.

Joining her is Nova Roberts, assistant director of change management and regulatory services from South Kesteven District Council.

She will lead the council’s people focused change and performance management strategy with the aim of delivering customer centric services for the residents of the district.

Mr Knowles explained how both new roles are fundamentally aligned to the council’s themes of our council, our people and our place.

He said: “We have established a clear strategic framework and we are really pleased to bring Di and Nova onto the leadership team.”

They will join Tracey Bircumshaw, assistant director of finance, business support and property services (sections 151), who is championing the implementation of the Technology One Enterprise Resource Planning System and leading the roll out of this financial, procurement and performance management system.

The system will deliver cost savings, improve operational performance and reporting and provide an easy to use, insightful system for our service users.

Also on the team is Ady Selby, assistant director of operational and commercial services.

He will continue to focus on the delivery of frontline services and develop the council’s commercial services.

He is the lead officer on council’s transformational programme - Together 24 - and on the building of a new £5 million depot for operational services, which is currently under construction.

Assistant director for planning and regeneration Sally Grindrod-Smith leads on the council’s growth and regeneration agenda, bringing together public and private investment to deliver positive outcomes for both businesses and our communities.

She recently oversaw the legal completion of the collaboration between Keepmoat, Homes England and the council - resulting in a start on site on one of the council’s sustainable urban extensions.

Mr Knowles added: “The individual skillsets of the leadership team will support the council to turn our vision into a reality and help our people, communities and businesses to thrive and reach their full potential.

“The new appointments are the latest step in our mission to deliver our customer-focused services, and remain a passionate, proactive, open and honest council.”

Di Krochmal will draw on her experience of enabling the delivery of homes and environments that meet the needs of the community.

She said: “One of the key objectives will be to tackle the inequalities across the district, which will make a real difference to people’s lives.

“We recognise that to build resilient communities we have to look more holistically at housing, health and wellbeing and community. We need to support job creation, address poverty and exclusion and meet the diverse needs of the residents of our district - only then can we really enhance their lives.

“We acknowledge that it is not a quick fix and that we can’t do it alone, but I am thrilled to work with the council and our wider partners to build on the foundations we have laid.”

Nova Roberts will use her extensive customer experience knowledge and transformation experience from private and public sector roles to lead the council on a journey of change.

She will support all services to continuously improve and be led by the council’s continued aspiration to act as one.

She said: “I am so motivated to be working with the council and to have the opportunity to collaborate and provide quality assurance on the performance and effective change management systems to support the whole organisation to deliver the corporate objectives.

“This is an exciting new role for me, and I am looking forward to working with all departments and partners to support sustained performance improvement and deliver effective, customer focused services that are innovative and responsive to the changing needs of our communities.”

Mr Knowles will be looking to complete the team in the coming months as the director of corporate services, Alan Robinson, moves on after 17 years.

He said: “Alan has made a tremendous contribution to the authority and we wish him well in his future endeavours.”

For more information visit www.west-lindsey.gov.uk or follow @WestLindseyDC on Twitter.