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Chris Atherton has been confirmed as director of adult social services at Shropshire Council.Helen Martin has been appointed corporate director for growth and connected communities, Jo Brown as corporate director for change and improvement, and Ravi Phull as service director for housing.Chief executive Tanya Miles said the appointments brought ‘significant experience from across local government and represent a major step forward in building the leadership team needed to support our next phase of improvement and transformation'. Cllr Sean Matthews has formally become chair of the County Councils Network (CCN).The vice-chairs of CCN are Reform UK's Cllr Martin Griffiths, Liberal Democrat Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Conservative Cllr Steven Broadbent, independent Cllr David Hitchiner, Green Cllr Annette Dunning and Labour's Cllr Nick Mannion. Sunderland-born economist Andy Haldane has been appointed as the first professorial fellow at Newcastle University's institute of devolution.Haldane, who was previously chief economist at the Bank of England and chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts, will serve for two years to support the activities of the institute, including events, evidence inquiries, engagement with government and opportunities for students to help address real-world policy challenges. Pensions UK has appointed Rachel Brothwood to its board as a non-executive director.Brothwood, an executive director at West Midlands Pension Fund, will also chair Pensions UK's policy board.She said: ‘With significant reform underway, we have a responsibility to make sure that change ultimately helps our pensions system to evolve as we build and protect financial futures.‘I look forward to working with leaders across the sector to ensure our collective experience informs the debate, our voice continues to be heard and we remain focused on delivering a better outcome for savers.'Brothwood succeeds John Chilman as policy board chair. Pensions UK's other new non-executive directors are People's Partnership chief executive Patrick Heath-Lay, TPT Retirement Solutions chief executive David Lane and managing director of workplace savings at L&G Katharine Photiou. Leeds-based Border to Coast Pensions Partnership has appointed a portfolio manager to lead its local investment programme.Luke Baker brings more than 25 years of private markets investment experience to the £120bn local government pension scheme pool, the largest in the UK.Chief investment officer Joe McDonnell said: ‘Building a dedicated local investment capability is an important evolution of our private markets team.‘Our ambition is to enable constructive discussions and working partnerships to make regional investment ambitions a success. Luke's appointment is a real step forward in making this happen across our partnership, with the aim of benefiting regions from the border to coast of England.'

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PEOPLE

Shropshire adds to senior leadership team

By Martin Ford | 23 September 2026

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