Oldham Council has named Shelley Kipling as its chief executive designate to take the borough forward in the coming years.
Shelley, who is currently acting Chief Executive at Oldham Council, was the unanimous choice of a cross-party appointments committee for the position, following a tough process attracting a range of high-calibre candidates. Her name will now go forward for ratification by full council next Thursday, 6 March.
Leader of Oldham Council, Councillor Arooj Shah, said: “I’m thrilled that we’ve appointed Shelley to this role following a highly competitive selection process which attracted an impressive field of candidates.
“Shelley’s passion for Oldham shone through this process and she demonstrated clearly the care she has for our residents and communities.
“The coming years will be so important for Oldham as we drive forward our plans to regenerate and transform our borough, continue to improve our vital public services, and work with our partners and residents to create a better Oldham.
“I can think of no one better than Shelley to work alongside me as we lead this crucial work to set a clear vision for the future of Oldham, deliver a new era of public service, and restore pride and hope to our wonderful borough.”
Shelley Kipling said: “I am so proud to work for Oldham – a place I love – and being given this opportunity to serve Oldhamers at such an important time for our borough is an honour. It’s also a privilege to do this alongside a fantastic workforce who work every single day to make the lives of Oldham people better.
“It is an exciting moment to be part of Oldham’s story. From regeneration and transformation across the borough, new homes, new jobs, new opportunities, our services continuing to improve, a budget which is stabilised and a renewed sense of purpose for a place that has made it clear we will no longer be left behind, Oldham’s time truly is now.
“There is a real strength present in Oldham which, if we work together collectively to maximise and amplify, will make us unstoppable.”
Shelley, the current acting Chief Executive at the Council, started her career in local government in 2003 before joining Oldham Council in 2009 and becoming Head of Communications. In 2015 she left Oldham to join Manchester City Council to lead their communications function.
Shelley returned to Oldham Council in 2019 as Assistant Director for Strategy, Performance and Communications, as a result, Shelley was instrumental during our Borough’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and to our plans for recovery afterwards.
Shelley was promoted to Assistant Chief Executive in 2021 where she took on additional responsibilities including human resources and organisational development, and in January 2024 Shelley took on responsibility for customer services and IT. Shelley has been instrumental in our work to build greater financial sustainability and to transform council services.
