Bristol City Council’s chief executive Jan Ormondroyd is to retire at the end of this month, after it emerged her partner was diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Ms Ormondroyd, who took on the £189,000 a year role in 2008, said she was confident she was leaving the council in good hands, but wanted to spend more time with her family.
A council spokesman said an interim chief executive would take over until the end of the year, so that the city’s first elected mayor – due to be decided in an election in November – could make their own choice of how Bristol would be managed.
She was praised by all four party leaders at the council, with Councillor Simon Cook, Leader of the Council, saying this morning: “Jan Ormondroyd has shown immense professionalism and dedication throughout her four and a half years as Chief Executive. The Council is a leaner, better run organisation due to her energy, commitment and hard-work.
“There have been many achievements in that time – from rising educational standards to winning huge transport investments, from establishing the new Local Enterprise Partnership to agreeing new powers for Bristol with government under the City Deal, from attracting new jobs to winning a cutting-edge reputation as a green city. These were all built on the foundations of sound management she put in place, and to her personal leadership of the staff team.
“I shall miss her calm wisdom and counsel immensely, and wish her and her family well for the future, at this difficult time.”
Ms Ormondroyd said in a statement: “I have been immensely privileged to work with so many dedicated colleagues, passionate in their commitment to improving the city, whether those are the thousands of staff members, the councillors, colleagues in partner agencies, or local residents.
“I am genuinely sad to be leaving at such an exciting time of change for the city, but am confident I will leave the council in good hands, and I shall keep in touch with the many friends I have made here.”
The interim chief executive will be named on August 2 on a salary in the region of £150,000 a year, which the council spokesman said was “more in line with current market conditions”.
