A high-profile position in NATO to chief executive at Rugby BC is an interesting leap, and one which could be described as mad. But Simon Warren has no doubts he made the right choice, and has settled in well to his new role. As I enter Simon’s suitably-sized office, his welcome is genuinely warm, and he wastes no time in enthusing over his new role. After 31 years in the RAF as a pilot, for many years flying Nimrods, and then spending three-and-a-half years leading strategic management for NATO based in Norfolk, Virginia, surprising as it seems, this man is suited to local government. ‘I’d done everything I could possibly wish to have done in the RAF,’ he says, with a smile. ‘I moved back to Britain, looked at my abilities, and thought about what to do next. I found I had a lot of transferable skills. ‘There are a lot of similarities between local government and the military. ‘Both need staff who can work well with partners, and they must understand other people’s cultures and other people’s points of view. ‘The major difference is the interface with councillors.’ Simon is not alone in what some would consider a very unusual move. Mark Kerr, chief executive at Powys CC, also has a military background, and Simon says he found a mentor in him as he encouraged him to aim for a chief executive role. Simon’s aim is to create a more forward-thinking Rugby, and he is gathering together all the council’s centres of excellence and focusing them in the same direction. He has already set out three-year and seven-year plans, and has no intention of leaving before seeing them through. Regeneration is the name of the game and pockets of Rugby town centre have been identified for a makeover. The cattle market is the site for a new college, there are plans for a new superstore, and a new hotel will hopefully encourage more visitors. In seven years, it is hoped there will be a diversity of shops, but still a distinct market town feel, and the new college will have become a vibrant institution. ‘We will also turn our attention to the untapped tourism potential Rugby has,’ Simon adds. ‘We don’t capitalise enough on the fact that this is where rugby all began. Also, we must promote the beauty of Warwickshire to tourists.’ The area was a big draw to Simon who moved from equally-picturesque Wiltshire to take up the post. And he doesn’t deny hoping his two sons – one a sports science graduate who aims to move into local government as a sports development officer, and the other a history student at Manchester – will at some point, head to join him in Shakespeare’s county. It is clear Simon is enjoying himself as top gun at Rugby, but he does point out that the team he’s working with is highly supportive. ‘There are some really good people here and for someone in local government for the first time, at this level, I need support. Without it, things could be really difficult.’ Simon’s aim for the future is to make the current ‘fair’ CPA-rated Rugby become an ‘excellent’ council. ‘We have the wherewithal here to change the rating and I’m very excited about the challenge. But I’m not doing this alone, it takes everybody in the organisation, all working together, to achieve change. ‘The majority of the council wants to be part of an excellent authority, and it’s my job to facilitate that.’ And on a personal level, Simon is looking forward to settling down in one place for more than five minutes. ‘I moved around a lot with work. It will be nice to finally put some plants in my garden and watch them grow,’ he says. n
