Radical Reformers ep.96: Leading a turnaround with Kath O'Dwyer, former Chief Executive of St Helens Council and Chair of SOLACE

In this new episode of Radical Reformers, I chat with Kath O'Dwyer, former Chief Executive of St Helens Council and Chair of SOLACE. 

During her tenure at St Helens, Kath led the council through significant challenges, including a poor corporate culture, the COVID-19 pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis, and a ransomware cyber attack. Despite these hurdles, she successfully transformed the organisation, leading to a very positive corporate peer challenge this year.

Kath describes herself as a “fix it” Chief Exec and she explains why it’s so important to recognise what sort of leader you are and what environment you are likely to thrive in. Trust and honesty are central to Kath's success and she explains the “kindness” of making tough decisions.

Kath also emphasises the importance of collaboration across local authority boundaries and the benefits of St Helens being part of the Liverpool City Region and the positive impact of regional programs and investments on local communities. 

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