CITY Council CEO Sue Bruce has today announced she is retiring from local government.
Dame Sue Bruce informed Council Leader Andrew Burns and his deputy Steve Cardownie of her plans to leave her post when she turns 60 in October.
She will formally give notice at next Thursday’s council meeting. The search for her replacement will begin immediately.
Sue took up her post as Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council in January 2011 having previously held the same role at both Aberdeen City Council and East Dunbartonshire Council. She began her local government career 39 years ago.
In July 2013 Ms Bruce announced she would be appointed a £50k a year non-executive directors role within energy giant SSE – who were later in talks with the Edinburgh City Council which listed SSE as the local authority’s preferred gas and electricity for council flats.
The deal was estimated to be worth at least £11 million in revenue for SSE.
Sue said of her retirement: “From my first job as a Youth and Community Worker for Strathclyde Regional Council back in 1976, I have been hugely proud to dedicate my entire working life to local government and public service.
“Serving as Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council, particularly during such a challenging and exciting time for the Capital, has undoubtedly been the pinnacle of my career and I am proud of what we have achieved together during my time here. There is still much to do and I will continue to focus on that until I handover to my successor.”
Cllr Andrew Burns said: “Sue has successfully tackled some key challenges during her time as Chief Executive and has achieved real progress for the Council.
Cllr Steve Cardownie added: “Our attention now turns to finding a high calibre replacement; an individual capable of building upon the platform laid by Sue during her years in post while taking on the undoubted challenges we face as a council in the years ahead.”
