Lead commissioner: Jim Taylor
Jim has significant experience leading local authority organisations. He served for six years as Chief Executive of Salford City Council prior to his retirement in 2021, and he also fulfilled the role of Interim Chief Executive of Trafford Borough Council simultaneously from July 2018 to February 2019.
During the years prior to 2019, Jim held the positions of Chief Executive of Rochdale Council and Director for Children’s Services at Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.
In June 2021, Jim was appointed by the Secretary of State to undertake an external assurance review of governance at Slough Borough Council. In March 2022, he was appointed as Commissioner in the statutory intervention in Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council.
Read Jim Taylor's appointment letter
Commissioner: Carol Culley OBE
Carol is the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer at Manchester City Council. Within this role she is responsible for Financial Management, Capital Programme Delivery, Corporate Property and Facilities Management, HROD, Revenues and Benefits, Customer Services, Procurement and Commissioning and Internal Audit, Health and Safety and Risk Management. As well as being the Authority's S151 Officer she leads on a number of corporate priorities including Climate Change, delivery of the Our Town Hall and Factory International projects and the council's internal transformation programme.
Carol’s previous experience included her role as Deputy City Treasurer with the responsibilities of Finance and Performance and ICT and was a member of the Health and Social Care Devolution Team. Previously she was the Assistant Chief Executive overseeing Finance and Performance.
She has acquired several accredited professional qualifications for her work in finance including, Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), diploma in management: certificate in commissioning and procurement. She is also a LGA Core Advisor.
In addition, she is a trustee for a number of organisations including the Greater Manchester Education Trust, Manchester Central and CIPFA, and also Junior Vice President of CIPFA and Chair of the CIPFA Public Financial Management Board.
Read Carol Culley's appointment letter
Commissioner: Mervyn Greer
Mervyn is the long-term serving Director of Kier Group, a leading UK construction and infrastructure services company.
Prior to working at Kier Group, he held the role of Development Director at Accord Plc, a local authority highways construction and maintenance company, and Head of Local Government and Facilities Management Consultancy at Amey, a leading infrastructure services and engineering company.
In 2016 Mervyn was engaged as an accredited commercial assessor for the Government Commercial Function development programme. In 2018 he was appointed by the Cabinet Office as Crown Representative with responsibility for the relationships with strategic suppliers to Government and Crown Representative to the Local Government Association.
In 2020 Mervyn was appointed by the Secretary of State as an inspector for the statutory review of Liverpool City Council.