Park departs Warrington after 15 years

Leaving the public sector behind for now, former Warrington Council interim chief executive Steve Park has decided to return to private sector consulting on a part-time basis.

Park made the announcement on LinkedIn, revealing his newly created Famara Consulting company in the process. He will specialise in advising on public-private partnerships, specifically in the fields of regeneration, economic growth, and land and property development.

“I wanted to go back to what I did best and what I enjoy best, which is setting up and advising on public-private partnerships,” Park told Place North West.

Park had joined Warrington Council in October 2010 as chief customer services and technology officer. Two years later, he became the managing director of Warrington & Co – the council’s investment and regeneration vehicle focussed on supporting the area’s economy. He would lead Warrington & Co for 12 years, before returning to the council itself as executive director of place.

When former chief executive Steve Broomhead stepped down in July, it was Park who became interim chief executive. His appointment lined up with the arrival of government envoys, special advisers focussed on tackling the council’s £1.8bn debt. During his time as chief executive, Park and his team decreased that figure to £1.4bn. He told Place that he had never wanted to turn his interim chief executive role into a permanent position, but had been happy to help the local authority as it had searched for a replacement for Broomhead.

Now, that permanent replacement has been found, with Sarah Smith taking over the chief executive mantle last month.

In his departure announcement, Park took time on LinkedIn to reflect on his time in the public sector in Warrington.

“In those 15 years, Warrington has been transformed largely as a result of some fantastic public-private sector partnerships which have been the hallmark of my career at the council,” he wrote.

“I have made many friends over the years in Warrington, and through fantastic teamwork, the prosperity of the town has never been higher, despite encountering several global economic shocks along the way.”

He concluded his post: “I wish the team at the council the very best success for the future and hope that the strong business partnerships continue to deliver.”