The Royal Borough of Kingston has announced the appointment of Sarah Ireland as the new permanent Chief Executive, confirmed at a meeting of the full council on 16 May.
Following her spell as Interim Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service at Kingston in February 2023, Sarah will be bringing a proverbial smorgasbord of skills and experience into her new role, having spent five years as Kingston’s Director of Corporate and Commercial and subsequently Executive Director, Corporate and Communities. Alongside these responsibilities, Sarah was also the Chief Financial Officer at this time, further honing her skills within the robust world of administration for council finances.
Leader of Kingston Council Andreas Kirsch welcomed Sarah’s appointment:
“Sarah’s depth of experience, her commitment to Kingston and her dedication to delivering for our communities made her the standout candidate and I’m delighted she is our new Chief Executive.
“Her strong track record since she joined Kingston five years ago speaks volumes. I look forward to continuing to work with her to tackle the challenging economic and environmental conditions we are working in and delivering on our new council plan to make Kingston greener, fairer, and safer for all our communities.”
With a cumulative 30 years of operating within local government, Sarah is no stranger to the roles and requirements that are needed to serve the people across London.
Sarah said she is looking forward to continuing her work at Kingston:
“Kingston is a wonderfully diverse, inclusive, and vibrant borough and I am passionate about delivering for all our communities. I want to make sure the services we provide, often alongside partners in the community, make a positive difference to the lives of all Kingston’s residents.
“I look forward to continuing our focus on striving to deliver consistently excellent customer care, supporting our residents and businesses through the cost-of-living crisis and taking action to address the impacts of climate change locally.”
