The chief executive of Cardiff Council, Paul Orders, has announced he is standing down after more than 12 years in the role. Orders, one of Wales' most respected local authority chief executives, has driven a pro-business and investment agenda for the capital city.
Orders was appointed chief executive of Cardiff Council in 2013, succeeding Jon House. He returned to the council after a two-year stint as chief executive of Dunedin Council in New Zealand. He had previously held a number of senior officer roles, having first joined the authority as a policy research officer in 1998, including head of policy and economic development and corporate director (place).
Recruitment Process Underway
The recruitment process to appoint his successor is now under way. The role has a salary of £208,116. Orders will remain in post until his successor takes up the role. As the biggest local authority in Wales, it will attract strong interest externally, but also from within the existing senior team.
Pro-Business and Investment Focus
Orders, originally from Maesteg, has overseen a pro-business and investment agenda for the city. This has seen the council, unlike many other local authorities, taking a partnership approach with business, including helping to oil the wheels of investment by de-risking projects when necessary. Very much aligned with the council's cabinet member for investment and development, Russell Goodway, and the economic development team under Neil Hanratty, Orders is helping to drive a new wave of mixed-use development at Atlantic Wharf in Cardiff Bay. Work is progressing on a first phase that will deliver a new indoor arena, which had long been seen as a missing link in the capital's entertainment infrastructure.
While the city has seen significant investment, Orders' role has also involved tackling the socio-economic challenges of the city being home to some of the most deprived communities in Wales. He played an important role in the creation of the Cardiff Capital Region, which covers the ten local authorities of south-east Wales. Cardiff Council was the city region's accountable body before its transition to a statutory body in spring 2024. His expertise could be in demand in a consultancy and non-executive capacity.
Orders' Statement
Orders, aged 57, said: "I have been chief executive of the council now for over 12 years and consider it a privilege to have worked with member and staff teams that are second to none. However, I feel now is the right time for me to signal my departure, to allow me more time and flexibility to concentrate on personal priorities, and to enable the council to oversee a management transition well in advance of the local elections next year. I would like to thank members across the chamber for the opportunity I have been given to serve the council, since my first role as a policy research officer in 1998, and to help shape and deliver the Cardiff agenda."
Tributes from Colleagues
Former leader of the council, Huw Thomas, who stood down after being elected a Senedd member earlier this month, praised Orders for his unstinting professionalism and calm approach. Thomas said: "The relationship between a leader and chief executive is key to the success of the delivery of any council agenda. My relationship with Paul was based on mutual respect and absolute trust. He is not just the epitome of professionalism and management, but also delivery - an assessment shared by numerous regulators such as the Wales Audit Office and in reports by Care Inspectorate Wales, as well as various council of the year awards. There is huge respect and affection for Paul in the Cardiff chamber, knowing that he is impartial and wants to help all councillors. Twelve years is a terrific stint for a chief executive, and many authorities across the UK look enviously at the stability that we have had. Paul leaves huge shoes to fill. This is not a retirement, but a stepping down, and I am sure he will continue to play an important role in public civic life in Wales."
Cardiff Council deputy leader Sarah Merry said: "To come into cabinet can be a huge and daunting challenge, but I have found Paul a constant and calm source of advice and support whenever needed." Leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group and a former leader of the council, Rodney Berman, said: "Paul has been a superb officer. I have had an opportunity to work with him over a good many years, and we could always see from the outset that he was somebody with a lot of potential and that he would rise fast. I wasn't at all surprised when it was announced he was coming back as chief executive, and we have been much better served in this city because of that. He is a very calm figure who just sorts out problems... and we need someone who follows on from that. I don't think there is anybody who doesn't think he is an excellent officer whatever side of the chamber they are on, or amongst council staff."
