Chief executive asked to delay retirement after council fail to find suitable new candidate

Oldham’s chief executive is to remain at the authority until 2026 after announcing plans to postpone his imminent retirement.

It comes as council leader Arooj Shah says potential candidates for his replacement lacked the experience to match their ‘aspirations and ambitions’ for the borough.

Harry Catherall, who took over from predecessor Carolyn Wilkins initially on an interim basis more than two years ago, was previously the chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen and St Helens councils.

Oldham council’s cross-party appointment committee had been recruiting and interviewing for a new chief executive as Mr Catherall had planned to retire from Oldham council in December.

But members today (Friday) agreed he will continue in the job for another two years, starting from January 2024.

During that time work will take place to ‘identify, train and develop a successor from within the council’, the authority said.

Coun Shah said: “I am absolutely delighted that Harry will continue to lead the organisation, seeing through the delivery of the exciting plans and projects he has put in place since joining us in 2021.”

She said that in recent months they had been recruiting for a new chief executive for Oldham.

“While we did have a good field of candidates, we felt the level of experience didn’t meet the level of our aspirations and ambitions,” Coun Shah added.

“As a result appointment committee have this morning decided to halt the recruitment process at this stage and seek an alternative approach – a creative approach that we feel is right for Oldham, while also responding to and recognising the nationwide issues many organisations are having with the most senior recruitment.

“Happily I have had discussions with Harry and he has been delighted to agree to continue to lead the organisation as chief executive, with some changes to his working arrangements.

“His remaining in post provides us with strong officer leadership, continuity and stability while, at the same time, we can take the opportunity to identify and develop the future chief executive from right here in Oldham, over that two year period.

“Harry has been asked to consider how best to do this over the coming weeks in anticipation of a council decision on both his appointment and any further arrangements on 1 November.

“I’m incredibly excited about the future for Oldham Council and for the borough, and know that this decision puts us in the best possible position to keep driving forward our priorities, and improvements, at pace.”

The appointments committee is made up of representatives from the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups on the council.

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