The role of a place leader has never been more challenging. Public expectations are high, the complexities increasing, demand for services is growing and our resources are ever more constrained.

Place directors are under pressure as never before. We are responsible for the services we all use, such as highways and waste, but are not the top area of spend in most councils. We deliver an increasingly diverse range of programmes and bring new solutions to traditional challenges. We need to anticipate the demands of climate change and emerging technologies, but with little time to be innovative ourselves. We're too busy managing the here and now.