Expert

Sarah
Norman
Chief Executive
,Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
I have been the Chief Executive of Barnsley Council since July 2019 and was previously Chief Executive of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council between Jan 2015 and July 2019.
In Dudley key achievements included:
- Leading a whole council programme to improve children’s services which were rated inadequate in 2016 and received two good and one requires improvement in 2018.
- Securing resources for a tram network to better connect Dudley Borough to the West Coast line and Birmingham & Wolverhampton.
- Leading West Midlands Combined Authority’s Thrive West Midlands programme to improve mental health & wellbeing.
I also have substantial experience of supporting a council through political change and worked for four different administrations during my tenure as Dudley’s Chief Executive.
Here in Barnsley my focus is on leading the development of a whole place vision, Barnsley 2030, ensuring the successful renaissance of Barnsley town centre, connecting cranes to communities so that everyone can experience the benefits of economic growth and supporting Barnsley to achieve its devolution ambitions.