The chief executive

About the chief executive role

Our acting chief executive is Jennifer Daothong.

Jennifer works closely with the directly elected mayor and elected councillors to provide:

• positive results – setting the Council’s management arrangements and practices to ensure effective and efficient delivery of services through well organised and motivated staff 

• strategic direction – ensuring that the mayor and Council’s priorities and goals can be implemented through focused strategies, projects and programmes

• policy advice – acting as the principal policy adviser to the directed elected mayor and elected councillors and securing best professional advice on all relevant matters in respect of the Council’s functions and services

• partnerships – leading and developing effective partnerships at management level with other public agencies, private companies and local community organisations to achieve better public services and improved results for local people

• operational management – ensuring that the Council has the highest standards of achievement in financial and budgetary management; the management of service performance; the management of emergencies and risks generally; the management of suppliers; and the overall management of change and improvement within the Council.

Jennifer is expected to work outside her contracted hours as necessary, including evenings and weekends to deal with any serious and urgent matters and to ensure that the service is maintained. She also covers duties for both Lewisham and London-wide emergency planning requirements. No additional payments are made to her for these additional duties.