Craig Hatton named new chief executive of council
Craig Hatton has been named as North Ayrshire Council’s new chief executive. Mr Hatton will take over the top job from Elma Murray OBE, who announced last month she was retiring.
Mr Hatton has played a key role in the authority since joining the council nine years ago. He is currently the executive director of place, which covers services such as housing, roads, building services and streetscene.
Ms Murray had agreed to remain in post until a new successor was appointed and it is expected that the handover will happen within the coming weeks.
Mr Hatton said: ‘First and foremost, I want to pay tribute to Elma and the amazing transformational work she has delivered during her time as chief executive, culminating in us winning APSE’s Council of the Year last year. I very much hope to maintain that record and look forward to continuing our journey towards improving people’s lives right across North Ayrshire.’
A building surveyor by profession, Mr Hatton has managed a wide range of local government services.
At North Ayrshire, he has led a strong team delivering significant transformation across a broad range of services securing many national awards along the way, notably a Municipal Journal award for workforce transformation in the creation of a fully integrated streetscene service.
Ms Murray said: ‘I want to pass on my best wishes to Craig and I’m sure he will do a fantastic job at the helm of North Ayrshire Council.
‘We have many challenges to face but it’s a real privilege to serve one of the best parts of Scotland. Once again, I would like to thank all staff, partners and residents for making my time as chief executive so enjoyable.’