Council Appoints Corporate Directors in Latest Stage of Improvement Programme

Orkney Islands Council has appointed two members of staff to Corporate Director roles within the organisation.

Karen Greaves will take on the role of Corporate Director for Strategy, Performance and Business Solutions, whilst Gareth Waterson becomes Corporate Director for Enterprise and Sustainable Regeneration.

The appointments are the latest stage in a refresh of the Council's corporate management structure, coming as the organisation strives to improve its performance, deliver on its ambitious priorities and improve confidence in the organisation across staff, partner organisations and the public.

Corporate Directors will provide leadership, vision and strategic direction across all Council services as part of the Corporate Management Team.  Their focus will be on driving change and innovation and delivering sustained improvement in the Council’s performance.

Congratulating the staff on their appointments Council Convener Harvey Johnston said: “I am genuinely delighted to welcome these experienced and highly regarded members of staff to their new roles.

“These are crucial appointments at the top end of the Council and we are most fortunate to have staff of Gareth and Karen’s calibre at this strategic level within our corporate leadership team to ensure the smooth running of an organisation with over 2500 employees.”

Karen Greaves joined Orkney Islands Council in 2002, working first in Community Social Services, before moving to the Council’s Education service in 2006. She was appointed to the role of Head of Leisure and Lifelong Learning in 2012 before moving to be Head of Executive Support with the Chief Executive’s Service in 2016.

In the 2017 New Year’s Honours, she was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for her work on Orkney’s commemorative events marking World War I- including the poppy display at St Magnus Cathedral and the national commemoration of the Battle of Jutland

“Having worked with the Council for two decades now, I am relishing the opportunity to take on a more senior leadership role within the organisation,” said Karen.

“These are unprecedented times for local government and I’m eager to lead my colleagues in facing these challenges head on as the Council looks to refocus, reshape and redirect over the coming year.”

Gareth Waterson joined the Council in 1994, working initially in internal audit before taking on a variety of finance related roles with a particular emphasis on economic development, housing, ferry services and the former direct services operations.

Following a period as Interim Director of Finance and Housing he was appointed as Head of Finance and Section 95 Officer for the Council in 2011.

He said: “Our Council has a great deal of ambition around economic recovery, renewables and connectivity. My new role affords me a fantastic opportunity to help drive forward those ambitions to provide the very best possible services for our island community.

“In the staff at Orkney Islands Council we have an incredible array of talent, knowledge and skills – and a real determination to improve even further – and I look forward to leading these teams to success.”

Interim Chief Executive John Mundell said; “In Gareth and Karen, we have two exceptional leaders with proven track records of high-performance and achievement. They know their respective service areas inside out, are well-respected by their colleagues, elected members and our stakeholders, and crucially have a clear vision for the future of the organisation.

“The Council is going through an important period of change as we look to make a number of improvements – and I have no doubt Karen and Gareth have the necessary skills and experience to play a pivotal role in driving forward that change.”

Interviews for a Corporate Director for Neighbourhood Services and Infrastructure and a Head of Service for Enterprise and Economic Growth, will take place in the coming weeks.