Chief executive
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Chief executive
Penny Thompson CBE took up the post of chief executive of Brighton & Hove City Council on 1 December 2012.
The appointment of Penny as our new chief executive was agreed at Full Council on 25 October 2012. Penny was appointed following a recruitment day that involved staff, members of community and voluntary sectors and the business sector. Penny takes over the role from our former acting chief executive, Catherine Vaughan.
Penny, originally from London, has held significant leadership roles in a variety of public services organisations. She started her professional career as social worker in London before moving to Sheffield, Cleveland and then Nottinghamshire. She returned to Sheffield in 1998 as the executive director for Social Services.
The following year, Penny went back to London joining the London Borough of Hackney as chief executive. She then established a leadership consultancy in 2007. In 2010 she was appointed to help the General Care Social Council (GSCC) become a self funding regulator. When the Government took the decision to abolish the organisation and she oversaw the orderly wind up of the GSCC.
Penny was awarded the CBE for services to social care in 2012.