Chief Executive Message

It is almost exactly a year since I became Chief Executive.

You don't need me to tell you it has been a busy 12 months for the city - but some of the most important moments for me have come through having the opportunity to get to know every corner of the council family a little bit better.

If you didn't know, one of the ways I've tried to prioritise that is by making time to get out of the City Chambers and visit different parts of this huge operation, in communities right across the city.

I feel like I've already learned a lot from teams in every Service - and also from some of our close partners - but I hope the visits have been valuable to those that have met me and given me an insight into their daily role too.

At the Glenburn Centre in Easthall, I was given a closer look at the city's Holiday Programme in operation - just one of dozens of locations across Glasgow where young people are accessing fun activities and nutritious food when schools are out. To see the difference that community is making for its young people and families was genuinely inspiring.

That project is really closely linked to our wider efforts to foster financial inclusion and I've also had the opportunity to drop in on some great charities and third sector partners, such as SWAMP and FARE, where the passion I have for ensuring all of our people and communities are able to be their best, is so obviously shared and put into practice.

I've visited schools all over the city; the council's Scientific Services lab, and Pollok Country Park - all of my visits remind me of the fantastic work, skill and compassion of our staff every day in their jobs.

I've been keen also to visit our partnerships with business, industry and universities like the city's Smart Things Accelerator Centre - a public-private partnership, with a state-of-the-art base in Finnieston.

The partnership believes Glasgow can continue to establish itself as a frontrunner in key technologies over the decades ahead - and there is a huge amount of innovative work underway involving everything from AI and drones to robots and nanotech.

All of these technologies not only have great potential to boost Glasgow's economy, but they can yield real-world social and economic benefits for our communities too.

There have been many more visits, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken the time to show me exactly how they deliver for our city.

I sometimes think those of us who are based in the City Chambers, or one of our other big locations, perhaps run the risk of taking it for granted.

We forget that the majority of people who work for the city don't see senior managers or directors, let alone the Chief Executive, every day.

I don't want to be remote from any of my colleagues. That's why I welcome your questions, here - and it's why I'll always be happy to receive an invite to visit and learn from another of our great teams.

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