Westmorland and Furness appoints chief executive
Miranda Cannon will be the head civil servant at the Cumbria local authority, joining from Salford City Council where she is the executive director of resources and transformation.
Prior to her time at Salford City Council, Cannon was the director of delivery, communications, and political governance at Leicester City Council. Coming to Westmorland and Furness Council will put Cannon on home turf, having grown up in the area.
As chief executive of Westmorland and Furness Council, she will help guide the local authority as it navigates devolution and the likely formation of the Cumbrian Combined Authority next year.
Cannon said: “Westmorland and Furness is at a pivotal point in time and I am confident that with my experience and drive, and the support of the already excellent leadership team along with the passion and commitment of elected members, staff and partners, we can together really move the council forward in delivering its future ambitions.
“I genuinely feel that I am a great fit for Westmorland and Furness,” she continued. “I share its values and its ambitions, and my breadth of experience will really complement the big challenges it has ahead including devolution, transformation and delivering great outcomes for residents, businesses and communities.”
Council Leader Cllr Jonathan Brook welcomed Cannon’s hire.
“I’m delighted with this appointment, and I am looking forward to working closely with Miranda on the next step of our exciting unitary journey,” he said.
“Miranda brings with her a range of skills that make her an ideal chief executive for Westmorland and Furness at this key junction,” he continued. “Especially given our ambition to fast-track further improvement, while finding significant savings.
“I am genuinely looking forward to working with Miranda as we lead and support our organisation together to deliver great things.”
The council’s Conservative group leader, Cllr Hilary Carrick, was similarly full of praise.
“Having had the pleasure of meeting Miranda I can confirm that she is clearly a skilled and experienced leader who shares our high aspirations for our area,” Carrick said.
“She is also very grounded, and she brings with her the skills we need now and for the future.”
Cllr Derek Brook, the leader of the Labour group, described Cannon as “a standout candidate”.
“The breadth of her experience across so many different service areas really makes her ideal for us as a relatively new unitary,” he said.
“We are still just over two years old and we need someone who has the experience to help us move forward and deliver change alongside quality outcomes and I genuinely look forward to working with her in the near future.”
