West of England Mayoral Combined Authority appoints new Chief Executive
The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA) has appointed Stephen Peacock Chief Executive Officer.
Stephen is currently the Chief Executive of Bristol City Council having previously been the council’s Executive Director for Growth and Regeneration with achievements including the City Leap decarbonisation project, Temple Quarter regeneration and the council’s house building programme.
Stephen said: “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve the citizens of Bristol during nearly five years with the council, including the past 18 months as Chief Executive. I wish to thank the Mayor of Bristol for his consistent support during this time and to all at the council for their dedication to their roles. Having worked alongside Richard over the past couple of years on delivering our organisations’ shared goals for the region, I also wish to thank him for his efforts and support during his time at the Combined Authority.
“I look forward to the opportunity to continue the collaborative efforts across our region to ensure the West of England is a place people are proud to live, work and invest in. This is a region of huge potential, as recognised by the substantial investment secured for jobs, skills, transport and homes. Working together with the Mayor, our partner authorities and the political leadership in the region, we aim to build on the success already achieved and grow a thriving and sustainable region for all.”
Richard Ennis remains as Interim Chief Executive and will handover to Stephen when he joins the Combined Authority. Richard has many significant achievements throughout his two years at the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. These include overseeing the delivery of Portway Park and ride – the first new train station to open in almost 100 years, acquiring the funding and set up of Joint Delivery Vehicle to kickstart development for Bristol Temple Quarter, a transformational programme that aims to deliver 10,000 news homes and thousands of new jobs. This is in addition to the many other investments in transport, new technologies and the significant investments in skills and environmental and nature improvements.
Richard Ennis, Interim Chief Executive, said: “I would like to express my appreciation to my corporate leadership team, and all the staff at the Mayoral Combined Authority for their unwavering commitment, professionalism, and passion for serving the people of the West of England. It has been a true privilege to work with Dan Norris, our regional Metro Mayor, the first-class local leaders and tremendous public sector and private sector partners in the region to make a tangible difference for our residents and businesses and shape a brighter future for our communities. As I prepare to hand over to my successor, Stephen Peacock, I am confident that Stephen will bring strong leadership and commitment to lead the Mayoral Combined Authority to even greater heights in the years to come.”
Dan Norris, West of England Mayor, said: “Stephen impressed all of those involved in what was a rigorous selection process with his vision and passion for the region, his experience and, crucially, his determination to get things done. This was a unanimous decision of myself and the West of England council leaders."
