Surrey County Council (SCC) has appointed Terence Herbert as its new chief executive. After a ‘robust recruitment process’, his appointment was formally announced on 9 April. He is expected to take up his new role this summer and will be replacing Joanna Killian, who is now chief executive of the Local Government Association.
Mr Herbert, who has been the chief executive of Wiltshire Council since 2020, has a background in children’s services and mental health. He joined Wiltshire Council in 2011 and since then has taken on a number of leadership roles, including executive director for children and families, and chief executive officer for people.
During his 13 years there, Terence says that some of his greatest achievements have been ‘transforming [Wiltshire’s] children’s services from ‘requires improvement’ to receiving an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted report in 2023’, as well as the ‘strong staff culture’ which has helped put ‘Wiltshire Council in a financially stable position’. Prior to this he worked at councils in Lewisham, Kensington and Chelsea, and North Somerset.
“Terence is an outstanding leader, bringing over 25 years of local government experience to the role and it is excellent news that he will be joining us,” says Tim Oliver, leader of SCC. “I am certain that he will be a tremendous asset to Surrey and is the right person to lead us as we face the challenges ahead.”
Having begun his career as a mental health nurse and social worker, Terence has made supporting vulnerable residents one of his top priorities when he takes up his new role. He has also expressed his hope to retain a ‘motivated and ambitious workforce’ in Surrey, to boost the local economy.
Speaking on his appointment, Mr Herbert said:
“When I join Surrey County Council, I look forward to continuing the good work of my predecessor to build on Surrey’s significant track record and lead the organisation through the next stage of its transformation, in what continues to be a challenging time for local government.
Having spent much of my earlier career in children’s services and mental health, I am passionate about delivering quality services for the most vulnerable residents across our communities and driving the economy to continue to deliver positive outcomes.”
