Town Hall 1

Mark Carroll will step down as Chief Executive of Hackney Council at the end of August in mutual agreement with the Mayor. 

Dawn Carter-McDonald, the Council's Director of Legal, Democratic and Electoral Services, is, subject to Council approval, to be the interim Chief Executive whilst the Council conducts a recruitment process.

Dawn has a successful, long-standing career in local government, spanning more than  20 years. She has been Hackney Council’s Director of Legal, Democratic and Electoral Services since 2019 and a member of the Corporate Leadership Team at Hackney Council since 2020. In that time, she has transformed the council’s legal services; significantly improved the council’s governance services; and played a key role in the development and implementation of service delivery reforms. 

Dawn said: “I am delighted to be appointed Interim Chief Executive of Hackney Council. Having been born in Hackney, the role has a very personal significance to me. I know Hackney really well and I am committed to better outcomes for all our residents. I am delighted to be taking up this key leadership role and look forward to using my knowledge and experience to serve the needs of our communities and our workforce.   

“The Council has achieved so much in the past few years, despite the challenges of the pandemic and cost of living pressures. I am keen to continue to drive progress with Members, staff, and partners - and with residents at the heart of everything we do.

“We have an exciting and ambitious strategic plan - ‘Working Together for a Better Hackney’ - that aims to make the borough ever more fair, safe, green and healthy for everyone. I am looking forward to working together with my colleagues in the Corporate Leadership Team to continue to focus our collective commitment to ensuring we deliver first-class services and improvements for the people of Hackney.”

Mark said: “Hackney is an extraordinary Council and place, and I have been so proud to be its Chief Executive. The Mayor, the Cabinet and the Council are all hugely ambitious for the borough and its residents, and that ambition permeates throughout the organisation. It has been a real privilege to work with such passionate colleagues, and to see the difference that we make, alongside our partner and community organisations, to the lives of our residents.

“The council already has so many outstanding services, and so I am especially proud of the improvements and progress that colleagues in Children’s, Adults and Housing Services have made during my time as Chief Executive and that we have stabilised and strengthened the way we work after Covid and the cyberattack.

“I would finally like to thank my hugely talented and experienced Corporate Leadership Team colleagues, our leaders at every level of the organisation and our amazing front-line colleagues for all their dedication, support and advice. We now have one of the most diverse leadership teams in the country, which represents and reflects the diversity of Hackney itself. I know that I leave Hackney in a strong position and am sure that it will continue to thrive.”

The Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said: “The Cabinet and I would like to thank Mark for his service to the Council and the people of Hackney. Mark joined Hackney at an incredibly challenging time and has been a visible leader. In the autumn of 2021, the borough was still dealing with the worst effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and a criminal cyber-attack. He has led the Council through those challenging times and has also made a positive impact particularly with our work with the police after the Child Q Report and subsequent community response and ensuring that our partners commitment to anti-racism is turned into a reality. He has also overseen significant improvements in our Children’s Services, our Adult Services and in our Housing Services. We wish him well for the future.

“Whilst we say goodbye to Mark I am very pleased to share that councillors and I were unanimous in our decision to recommend Council appoint Dawn Carter-McDonald as our interim chief executive. Dawn is an exemplary leader and I know will serve the residents of Hackney well. I look forward to working with her over the coming months.”