Manchester City Council has announced that Deputy Chief Executive Carol Culley is to leave after more than two decades.
Since 2016, Culley has served as the council’s treasurer, with the role of Deputy Chief Executive being added to that in 2018. Alongside both of these roles, she has been serving as a government-appointed commissioner which has seen her addressing nationally significant challenges across the local government sector.
After leaving Manchester, Culley will begin a year-long period as President of the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), with this helping to improve finance across the public sector to support the raising of service standards. Experiences and learnings from her long career in Manchester will support Culley in this role.
Speaking about her departure, Culley said:
“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Manchester City Council and I’m fortunate to have worked with many brilliant colleagues and councillors over the years. It will be a wrench to leave but these are opportunities that I don’t want to turn down and it feels like this is the right time to move on and begin another chapter.”
An OBE was also awarded to Culley in 2020 for her services to local government.
Chief Executive of the council, Joanne Roney CBE, commented on Carol Culley’s time in the role as her Deputy, saying:
“Carol has had a fantastic career in Manchester, and it is a sign of how well she is respected and her levels of success that firstly the government appointed her as commissioner and secondly that she will be the president of CIPFA.
“Balancing the finances in a city like Manchester, with a gross budget of more than £1.5 billion a year is no easy task, and she has done that with dedication, commitment, and a passion for the city.
“It has been fantastic to work with her since I joined as chief executive, and she is a key part of our senior management team and all the major work the council does. While I will miss her greatly on a personal level, I am looking forward to continuing to work with her in her new national role.”
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, added:
“Carol has dedicated the biggest part of her career to Manchester and throughout that period we have witnessed her passion for the city, her dedication and leadership in our budget setting, spending, and investment.
“It is a credit to her and also her work there that she is undertaking these national roles, and we wish her the very best for the future.”
Image credit: iStock and Manchester City Council
