19 July 2018
States of Jersey Chief Executive, Charlie Parker, has today announced five new appointments to senior leadership positions in the public service.
- Julian Blazeby – Director General for Justice and Home Affairs
- Mark Rogers – Director General for Children, Young People, Education and Skills
- John Quinn – Chief Operating Officer
- Catherine Madden – Chief of Staff
- Maria Benbow – Commercial Director
Jersey Appointments Commission Chair, Dame Janet Paraskeva, said: “This has been the most rigorous and exacting series of States of Jersey recruitments that I have been involved in. I am encouraged that so many excellent candidates applied, and that, by unanimous decision, we have been able to appoint the very best people to these important roles.
“However, we are disappointed that a number of senior women candidates withdrew their candidacy at a late stage. We are fully aware of the challenges with relocating to the island and these have been a factor for many candidates. Our strategy will continue to work towards attracting a more diverse candidate base.”
Charlie Parker said: “These five appointments will strengthen the leadership of the public service considerably and will help us to drive the programme of transformation and modernisation that will improve both the effectiveness and the quality of our services to islanders. I’m delighted that we have been able to attract high-calibre candidates with extensive experience to join the senior leaders who we have already appointed from within the States.”
Graeme Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Jersey Business, a panel member for two appointments, said: “This has been a very professional and thorough process and I am delighted that Jersey will benefit from such talented recruits for these important positions. While we generally prefer home-grown candidates to international recruits, as an independent Jersey panel member, I am satisfied that we have chosen the very best candidates for these crucial roles and that Jersey’s public services will benefit from the expertise that they bring. Furthermore I am confident that they will, and the States must, ensure that they share that expertise to strengthen the succession pipeline for future leaders.”
Julian Blazeby, who has been Acting Chief of Police since July 2017, and Mark Rogers, who was appointed as Interim DG for Children, Young People, Education and Skills in June 2018 will take up their roles with immediate effect. Julian Blazeby will also retain direct responsibility for States of Jersey Police, pending a full recruitment exercise to appoint his successor.
The other appointees will join over the next two to four months, when their notice periods have expired. Anna Daroy, who has held the Chief Operating Officer role on an interim basis, will continue in post for a short period, pending the arrival of the permanent COO, after which she will leave the States.
All appointments followed the Jersey Appointments Commission code of conduct in fair and open competition. All interview panel members were involved in the long and short-listing of candidates, and appointments were made following a combination of face-to-face interviews and extensive and evidence-based technical and psychometric assessments over two days. Relevant Ministers also met Director General candidates.
All successful candidates were appointed unanimously by the interview panels, which included international subject matter experts and independent Jersey specialists. The interview panels for the five roles were:
Director General for Justice and Home Affairs
- Dame Janet Paraskeva – Jersey Appointments Commission and Panel Chair
- Charlie Parker – Chief Executive
- Roger Russell – Director of Executive Search, Penna plc
- Nicola Sawford – Independent Panel Member (Non-Executive Director on the Standards Bar Board and Trustee and Treasurer of the Access to Justice Foundation)
- Helen Ruelle – Independent Panel Member (Director of Local Legal Services, Ogier)
Director General for Children, Education, Young People and Skills
- Dame Janet Paraskeva – Jersey Appointments Commission and Panel Chair
- Charlie Parker – Chief Executive
- Julie Towers – Managing Director, Penna plc
- Andrew Christie – Independent Panel Member (Chair of the National Adoption Leadership Board and previously Director of Children’s Services (including Education) for Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster)
- Helen Ruelle – Independent Panel Member (Director of Local Legal Services, Ogier)
Chief Operating Officer
- Dame Janet Paraskeva – Jersey Appointments Commission and Panel Chair
- Charlie Parker – Chief Executive
- Carolyn Downs – Independent Panel Member (CEO of the London Borough of Brent council and former CEO of the UK Local Government Association)
- Graeme Smith – Independent Panel Member (CEO of Jersey Business)
Chief of Staff
- Dame Janet Paraskeva – Jersey Appointments Commission and Panel Chair
- Charlie Parker – Chief Executive
- John O’Brien – Independent Panel Member (CEO of London Councils)
- Graeme Smith – Independent Panel Member (CEO of Jersey Business)
Commercial Director
- Dame Janet Paraskeva: Jersey Appointments Commission and Panel Chair
- Charlie Parker – Chief Executive
- Simon Tse – Independent Panel Member (Director of Procurement Operations – Crown Commercial Services)
- Kevin Keen – Independent Panel Member (Chairman of Visit Jersey Board plus other Jersey NED roles)
Career histories for the new appointments:
Julian Blazeby – Director General for Justice and Home Affairs
2017-18 Acting Chief of States of Jersey Police
2016-17 Director, Independent Police Complaints Commission
2014-16 Service Police Assurance Advisor, Ministry of Justice
2011-14 Assistant Chief Constable, Staffordshire Police
2011 Detective Chief Superintendent, Norfolk Constabulary
2010-11 Temporary Assistant Chief Constable, Norfolk Constabulary
2007-10 Detective Chief Superintendent, Norfolk Constabulary
2005-07 Detective Superintendent, Norfolk Constabulary
1984-2005 Various policing roles, Suffolk Constabulary
Mark Rogers – Director General for Children, Education, Young People and Skills
2017-18 KPMG, Associate Consultant; Collaborate CIC, Executive Director
2014-17 Chief Executive, Birmingham City Council,
2013-16 National President, Society of Local Authority Chief Executives
2008-14 Chief Executive, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
2006-08 Director of Children’s Services, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
2003-06 Assistant Director, Education, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
2001-03 Head of Inclusion Services, Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
1994-2000 Headteacher, Cromwell School, Tameside
1990-94 Head of Upper School The Elms, Knowsley
1988-90 Deputy Headteacher, Whiston School, Northamptonshire
1985-87 Teacher, Glenwood School, Bedfordshire
John Quinn – Chief Operating Officer
2016-date Bi-borough Director of Corporate Services, Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
2011-16 Enforcement Director, Child Maintenance Group, Department for Work and Pensions
2009-11 Chief Operating Officer, Shared Services, Department for Work and Pensions
2005-09 Chief Executive, People, Pay and Pensions Agency, Ministry of Defence
2003-05 HR Change Director, Group HR, Barclays Bank plc
2001-03 Integration Director, Woolwich Integration Programme, Barclays Bank plc
1980-2001 Various roles in Barclays Bank plc
Catherine Madden – Chief of Staff
2013-date Assistant Chief Executive (and interim Head of Paid Service from May 2017), Liverpool City Council
2011-13 Divisional Manager, Policy and Partnerships, Liverpool City Council
2006-11 Head of Chief Executive’s Office, Liverpool City Council
2003-06 Policy Advisor to Chief Executive, Liverpool City Council
2001-03 Head of Built Environment, Regeneration, Liverpool City Council
1997-2001 Senior Planning Policy Officer, Regeneration, Liverpool City Council
1991-97 Senior Planning Officer Development Control, Liverpool City Council
1988-91 Support Officer Royal Town Planning Institute, University of Liverpool
Maria Benbow – Commercial Director
2018-date Chief Procurement Officer and Digital Transformation Director, Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
2016-18 Digital Transformation Director, Westminster City Council
2014-16 Managed Service Programme Director, Westminster City Council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
2013-14 Head of Commercial Contracts, Westminster City Council
2011-13 Strategic Procurement Transformation Lead, BAe Systems
2009-11 Commercial and Procurements Bid Manager, BAe Systems
1996-2009 Various commercial and financial roles, primarily at BAe Systems and Augusta Westland
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