Councils announce preferred candidate for new Chief Executive

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have published details of the preferred candidate to be their new, shared Chief Executive.

A recruitment process got underway after the previous Chief Executive’s departure, and members of the councils’ Joint Staff Committee have now recommended Adrianna Partridge to be the new shared Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service.

Adrianna is the councils’ current Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate and Communities) and the decision to appoint her will go to the next full Council meetings on Wednesday 10 December (Vale of White Horse) and 11 December (South Oxfordshire) for final approval.

The two councils have had a shared Chief Executive since 2008, when joint working between the neighbouring districts began. The costs for the Chief Executive – as they are for all senior management and staff – are shared between the two councils, this makes staffing at the two councils extremely cost effective.

Cllr David Rouane, Leader of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Adrianna has been a valued and widely respected member of our Strategic Management Team for many years and has provided invaluable leadership on many areas to support our communities. Adrianna led on the councils’ response during the pandemic as well as our emergency housing provision for refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan, and in recent months has worked tirelessly with neighbouring councils on our response to local government reorganisation.

Cllr Bethia Thomas, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, added: “I am really pleased that we have been able to offer Adrianna the role of Chief Executive. This is a crucial period for our councils, and I am sure Adrianna will provide the strategic leadership and direction we need as we move to unitary status. There are many challenges ahead, but I have faith that Adrianna and the strong leadership team she will head up will help us deliver the right outcomes for our councils, staff group and most importantly the residents of our districts.”

Should the Council meetings approve the appointment, Adrianna will formally take up the post on 1 January 2026.