Norfolk County Council is moving ahead with recruiting a new Chief Executive Officer after its Employment Committee voted on 30 July to approve the appointment process and confirm who will sit on the interview panel.

Interviews are set to take place on Tuesday 4 August 2026 — just days after the committee meeting — a timeline that drew criticism from some members who felt it was too short notice. The role was advertised for just over three weeks, including on the council's website and LinkedIn.

The five-member appointment panel will be chaired by Cllr David Bick and also includes Cllr Robin Hunter-Clarke, Cllr Brian Watkins, Cllr Jonathon Wedon, and a yet-to-be-confirmed Green Group representative.

Both the panel membership and the overall appointment process were approved by four votes to three, reflecting divisions on the committee. Some members argued the panel should include seven councillors to ensure all political groups had a seat at the table, though the Interim Monitoring Officer confirmed the five-member panel was politically balanced under council rules.

A separate proposal — put forward by Cllr Kay Mason Billig and seconded by Cllr Brian Watkins — to move into private session so members could hear details about the number of applicants and whether a shortlist was in place, was defeated by four votes to three. The Director for People, Derryth Wright, agreed to provide that information to Cllr Watkins in writing instead, given its confidential nature.

An Executive Leadership Team stakeholder panel will also be involved in the process to ensure all areas of questioning are covered during the selection. The Chair, Cllr Bick, expressed confidence in the HR team's handling of the recruitment so far.