THE BIG BLACK BOOK
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ELVIS IS LEAVING THE BUILDING INTERVIEWED BY FRANK MCKENNA
Manchester City Council has announced that chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein will retire from his role with the organisation in Spring 2017. Sir Howard, who joined the council as a junior clerk in 1971, has been in the top job since 1998. He has played a central role in the regeneration and economic growth of the city, including serving from 1996-99 as the chief executive of Manchester Millennium Ltd which oversaw the transformation of the city centre in the aftermath of the 1996 IRA bombing. Since then the city has experienced unprecedented growth and investment including flagship developments such as Spinningfields, NOMA, First Street, Corridor Manchester and forthcoming investments in St John’s, Airport City, the Northern Gateway and HS2. Sir Howard was also instrumental in securing Manchester’s hosting of the 2002 Commonwealth Games – then the largest multi-sports event ever hosted in the UK – and the catalyst to the regeneration of East Manchester and the unparalleled investment in sport and leisure facilities focused around the Etihad Campus. As clerk to Transport for Greater Manchester Committee -and its predecessor bodies - he has played a leading role in the introduction and expansion of the Metrolink tram network. He was also involved in the establishment of Manchester Airport as a plc in the mid 1980s and the group’s ongoing expansion.
Sir Howard has been a key player in developing collaborative working relationships between the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities. He oversaw the establishment of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) in 2011 and the development of the Northern Powerhouse initiative and a series of historic devolution agreements - transferring significant powers and resources from central government to the city region and giving local leaders more scope to shape the economic success of the region and reform public services to better address Greater Manchester’s needs and priorities. Building on these groundbreaking agreements, he also led on the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Greater Manchester local authorities, NHS England and the Greater Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) which secured the devolution of all health and social care funding to Greater Manchester. The agreement puts in place new partnership arrangements which will help make services more financially viable while improving outcomes for residents. Sir Howard, who was knighted in 2003 for his services to the city, has become a revered local government figure nationally, has been a huge supporter of Downtown in Business since the organisation was established in Manchester in 2009. Frank McKenna caught up with the man he has labelled ‘The Elvis of local government’ at his Town Hall office just before Christmas to grab a quick chat over a cup of tea. SIX IN THE CITY: MANCHESTER