New Council Chief Executive formally appointed

Image
Newly appointed Chief Executive Kath Marriott, right, is pictured in the Council's courtyard with Council Leader Cllr Richard Wright. Both are smiling and looking at the camera. The Council's crest can be seen behind them.
Newly appointed Chief Executive Kath Marriott, right, is pictured in the Council's courtyard with Council Leader Cllr Richard Wright.

Newly appointed Chief Executive Kath Marriott says it was North Kesteven District Council’s reputation as a ‘forward-looking and proactive council’ that drew her to the role.

Mrs Marriott was formally appointed as the District Council’s seventh Chief Executive by a unanimous show of confidence in her by the Full Council of Members on Thursday, October 3.

She will take on the role early in 2025, following the retirement of current Chief Executive Ian Fytche at the end of December. He will have completed almost 19 years as Head of Paid Service, elections returning and registrations officer and many other roles and responsibilities within local government partnerships in North Kesteven, Lincolnshire and more broadly across the country.

She comes to NKDC following five and a half years as Chief Executive at Rushcliffe Borough Council in Nottinghamshire, where she has worked since 2008, following an earlier career in publishing and at a town council.

As the authority’s most senior officer, she will work with the political and senior officer leadership to develop the Council’s strategic objectives and organisational direction, and monitor service delivery to ensure it is fulfilling its statutory duties and working for the benefit and enhancement of North Kesteven as a District of Flourishing Communities. 

Kath said, “I am absolutely delighted to be appointed as the next Chief Executive at North Kesteven District Council and I am thoroughly looking forward to joining the team in the new year. The opportunity to join such a forward-looking and proactive council really appealed to me and I am honoured to be following in Ian Fytche’s footsteps to lead the authority in its future challenges, to explore new opportunities, and to build on the excellent services delivered with competence, care and consideration for all residents.

“I am excited to bring my experience in commercial and environmental projects to the authority and to also learn as much as I can from the councillors and staff about the Council and the communities in this beautiful part of the world. In the next few weeks before I join, I will do my best to absorb as much information and knowledge about the District as I can, so that I can get off to a confident start meeting stakeholders and building relationships from the get-go. 

“North Kesteven is already an excellent and highly-regarded local authority. Working with the Leader, I will ensure that we continue to be at the forefront of innovation both locally and nationally, delivering ongoing excellence for all residents and communities."

Council Leader Cllr Richard Wright said that in appointing a new Chief Executive, they had sought someone with strong personal commitment to public service, visible leadership and collaborative credentials, sound judgment and clarity, commercial acumen, who advocates for the Council’s interests in a wide range of local, regional and national forums, and understands the wider ways of working.

“I am certain that in Kath we have found that person and I very much look forward to sustaining a strong working relationship where we are all focused on building, supporting and enriching a District of Flourishing Communities; and also in involving, innovating and inspiring our wider local government networks for the broader benefit of our local communities.

“It can be no coincidence that under Kath’s leadership Rushcliffe Borough Council was recognised as a leading local authority in last year’s MJ Awards, just as North Kesteven was the year before. There’s clearly a great deal of synergy and shared emphasis on developing and delivering the best possible outcomes for residents, businesses and communities and I am sure that we will welcome Kath’s fresh approach in doing so,” he said.

Already Kath says particular areas of interest are in contributing to North Kesteven’s ambitions for advancing a carbon net-zero future for the Council and the District, supporting the Lafford Homes and Carre Arms Hotel arms-length companies which seek to build financial resilience for the Council whilst branching out into new ways of sustaining communities, participating in new opportunities presented through Devolution for Greater Lincolnshire and progressing changes impacting on its role as a social landlord.

For the latest news on North Kesteven District Council visit our council news pages

Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), find us on Facebook, or sign up to our newsletter