Bristol City Council chief executive resigns for London role

A council chief executive has resigned after four years of service.

Mike Jackson, from Bristol City Council, is leaving to take up a new role as chief executive of Richmond and Wandsworth borough councils.

The move is likely to be approved by councillors in the two boroughs in the coming days.

Mayor Marvin Rees said Mr Jackson had brought "grip, pace, professionalism and personal warmth to one of the toughest jobs in the city."

Mr Jackson is expected to leave Bristol in the autumn.

The chief executive role is a non-political civil servant position and is responsible for the day-to-day operational running of the council.

Previously, Mr Jackson was chief executive of North Somerset council.

He began working as Bristol City Council's executive director for resources and head of paid service, before becoming chief executive in 2020.

In a statement, Mr Jackson said: "The new role is a tremendous opportunity for me personally and professionally, as it has been an ambition of mine to revisit life in London with my family and it was simply too good to pass up.

"I have been honoured to work in Bristol, a city and council with incredible vibrancy, ambition and diversity.

"It has been a fulfilling, challenging and invigorating few years, and I'll be leaving with many fond memories and a tremendous respect for the hard work and dedication of our staff, councillors and partners throughout the city.

"I leave a better person for my experience here. I'll be working with the mayor to ensure that strong leadership arrangements are in place and that the council can continue to support Bristol and its citizens through these challenging times."

The mayor said Mr Jackson's departure creates a "fresh opportunity for talented people" to take over.

His replacement will have to guide the council through a variety of major challenges, including the cost of living crisis, skyrocketing inflation and the transition to a committee-based model.

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