EALING'S executive director of customer engagement and innovation will leave the council at the end of February after being offered a job she 'couldn't refuse'. Johanna Law-Riding, who has been leading the council's Response programme, was headhunted by a leading company in the pensions field. She will join Liberata as director of operations to run all of the company's operations centres, ICT and information for public sector business, while creating centres of excellence.

Johanna said: "Working at Ealing has been amazing, and the people I have worked with have been great, both as individuals and as teams.

"It's also been fantastic developing the Response programme which is going to transform the council and really make a positive difference to the lives of our residents and customers.

Johanna was employed by the council on a two-year contract, but extended it to continue driving forward Response. She was due to leave the council in June, but felt the new job offer was something she couldn't refuse.

Ealing's chief executive Gillian Guy said: "We're really sorry to lose Johanna as she's been a wonderful leader of Response and done a great job. But we understand that this was an opportunity she had to take."

Council leader John Cudmore added: "Johanna has been an inspiration to us all and it's been a pleasure working with her. She has worked tirelessly to ensure Response has been kept on target and will be delivered.  We are very sorry to lose her." 

The remaining members of the corporate board, led by Gillian Guy, will continue to implement and deliver Response in the run up to its official launch in December.  Response programme director Tim Dauncey will join the council's corporate board to ensure the programme is delivered as planned.

 

 

January 24, 2005