LCR authority appoints new CEO
Katherine Fairclough will replace the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s outgoing chief executive Frank Rogers this summer.
She will leave her post as chief executive of Cumbria County Council after four years in the role.
At the combined authority, Fairclough will be responsible for departments including transport, environment, and housing, as well as overseeing the city region’s Covid-19 recovery strategy.
Fairclough has extensive experience within the public sector having held positions at Warrington, Wigan and St Helens councils.
She will take over from Rogers, who will retire later this year having held the position since November 2018.
Fairclough said: “The Liverpool City Region has so many strengths, but, like everywhere else, it has been hit hard by the pandemic and there is a huge amount of work to do to drive the city region’s recovery.
“I’m looking forward to working with partners through this crucial period to achieve our vision to create a globally competitive, environmentally responsible and socially inclusive city region.”
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “This is a vital role for our City Region, and Katherine’s appointment is the result of a rigorous recruitment process designed to make sure that we secured the very best candidate possible. I am particularly pleased that we are appointing our first woman chief executive.
“We have huge challenges ahead of us, but we also have so many positives to build on as we drive forward to recover from the pandemic and return to the progress we were making before Covid-19.”