Bury Council appoints new chief executive

Mike Owen has been appointed the new chief executive of Bury Council following five months as its interim head.

He was executive director of resource and regulation before taking charge in March on the retirement of Mike Kelly. His appointment was made permanent by councillors at their meeting on Wednesday 1 July.

Mike has been with Bury Council since 1986, starting as deputy group accountant. He also served as chief financial services officer on coming back from a one-year stint at Oldham Council in 1999 where he was deputy treasurer.

He previously worked with the NHS in the North West Regional Authority in 1979 as a finance trainee, before joining Trafford Council in 1984.

Mr Owen is the current president of CIPFA, the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy, the world's top public sector finance organisation.

Mike (aged 53) said: “As a long-time resident of the borough, and as a council employee of nearly 30 years, I am immensely proud to take up this appointment. Bury is an outstanding place in which to live, work and study, and our council’s staff strive to provide the best possible public services to local residents.

“We face a huge number of challenges in Bury, not least of which is the need to find yet more cuts from our budget, but I will be doing my very best to make sure that Bury remains a great place in which to live, work and study.

“Another major challenge will be making sure we are fully ready for ‘Devo Manc’, as unprecedented powers and spending are handed to the city region, and I’m determined to play a leading role in making sure that this works for the benefit of Bury people and those across Greater Manchester.”

Councillor Mike Connolly, leader of Bury Council, said: “Mike has done a fantastic job so far and I’m sure he will continue to do so as our new chief executive. I look forward to working closely with him in the months and years to come.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 7 July 2015.

Picture: Mike Owen.