Our leadership team is collectively responsible for managing and leading over 800 staff to deliver high-quality services and improve social, economic and environmental outcomes for Cambridge residents and businesses.

They are politically neutral and work with all city councillors, as well as The Executive.

Robert Pollock: Chief Executive

Robert is responsible for all work carried out by the council and is the main advisor on overall policy. His key responsibilities include:

• overall management and coordination of staff, resources, and functions
• management of the political interface between councillors and staff
• ensuring council policies and services are delivered effectively
• acting as the electoral registration officer and returning officer
• representing the council and Cambridge at local and national levels

Contact Robert using our general enquiry form or on 01223 457800.

Andrew Limb: Assistant Chief Executive, Chief Executive Office

Andrew is a member of the Chief Executive Office, which:

• provides democratic services to the council
• co-ordinates and develops key cross-cutting council strategies and supports colleagues across the council to develop policies and collaborative approaches

Jane Wilson: Chief Operating Officer, Corporate group

Jane oversees organisational performance to ensure the council is fit for purpose to achieve its goals. The Corporate group’s work includes:

• ensuring scarce resources are deployed to achieve value for money
• overseeing our shared services governance and performance management
• supporting teams to innovate and improve
• promoting resilience and staff wellbeing

Jody Etherington: Chief Finance Officer, Corporate group

Jody leads the finance function and his key areas of responsibility include:

• ensuring the council sets balanced budgets that provide value for money
• advising members and officers on financial matters and risk management
• managing the collection of business rates and Council Tax, and payment of housing benefits
• treasury management, raising finance for investment, oversight of the capital programme

James Elms: Director, City Services group

James leads our integrated approach to delivering key operational services across the council, championing high standards of maintenance, efficiency, and commercial innovation. His key responsibilities include:

• inspiring civic pride by providing a clean, safe and high-quality environment across the city’s streets and open spaces
• visibly supporting our tenants who are housed in more than 7,200 council homes, providing them with a high-quality responsive repairs service
• leading sound commercial enterprises that generate income and provide public good
• being the council’s representative in the Shared Waste Service, which is delivered by our partners at South Cambridgeshire District Council

Benedict Binns: Assistant Director, Development, Place Group

Ben leads the development team and our housebuilding programme. Key responsibilities include:

• meeting our housebuilding target of 1,000 homes by 2030
• liaising with Homes England and other grant bodies to secure grant for the council’s homebuilding programme
• managing our partner relationship with Hill in the Cambridge Investment Partnership
• ensuring that new council homes meet our Sustainable Housing Design Guide

Sam Scharf: Director, Communities group

Sam leads the Communities Group, which includes teams that directly support residents to live better lives, including those with more complex needs. Its responsibilities include:

• managing our housing stock and tenancies
• enabling local and safer communities
• reducing homelessness and rough sleeping
• welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers
• promoting better environmental health, licensing premises and taxis, and enforcing private sector housing standards
• providing sports and recreation facilities for the wellbeing and health of all residents
• contributing to the cultural offer across the city 
• supporting elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents through the work of the Cambridgeshire Home Improvement Agency

Stephen Kelly: Joint Director, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning and 3C Building Control

Stephen is our chief planner and leads the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning Service (shared with South Cambridgeshire District Council). His key responsibilities include:  

• leading the development of planning policy including the joint local development plans with South Cambridgeshire District Council
• managing all planning and development applications including enforcement
• overseeing strategy for conservation areas, biodiversity and heritage assets
• oversight of 3C Shared Building Control Service (shared with Huntingdonshire District Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council)

Heather Jones: Deputy Director, Greater Cambridge Shared Planning and 3C Building Control

Heather is our Deputy Director for Planning and Building Control and oversees effective delivery of those functions.

3C Building Control is shared with South Cambridgeshire District Council and Huntingdonshire District Council. Greater Cambridge Shared Planning is shared with South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Key responsibilities include:

• driving cultural change across all functions of the planning and building control services with a focus on digitalisation
• service transformation and review with a focus on commercialisation
• leadership including performance management, analysis and evaluation
• developing stakeholder and partnership strategies