Inverclyde Council has appointed Aubrey Fawcett as its new chief executive to replace John Mundell OBE who is set to retire from the council in September.

Aubrey is currently corporate director for environment, regeneration and resources at Inverclyde Council and is chief executive of urban regeneration company Riverside Inverclyde (ri).

Inverclyde Council leader, Councillor Stephen McCabe, said: “Aubrey knows Inverclyde like the back of his hand. He is more than qualified to take on the role of chief executive and has a proven track record of delivering for Inverclyde Council and for Riverside Inverclyde.

“Among his many achievements has been galvanising the team at Riverside Inverclyde and he has been at the forefront of bringing the Glasgow City Region City Deal investment to Inverclyde.

“Local government is going through tough times and increasing financial and service pressure. A strong chief executive with a pedigree of delivering for public services will give Inverclyde the resilience it needs. The task for Aubrey in the coming years is to weather the stormy times ahead and to seize every opportunity to make sure that public services in Inverclyde continue to deliver excellence for the people who matter, our residents.

“I would like to thank the candidates who applied for this position in the previous and latest round of recruitment. It is clear that there is a great deal of talent in public services not just in Scotland but also in the rest of the UK.”

Aubrey Fawcett, said: “I am delighted to be appointed chief executive of Inverclyde Council. While it has taken two attempts at recruitment it is right that councillors have confidence around the appointment of this important role. I hope the resilience over the past few weeks stands me in good stead for what is required to lead one of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

“I know already that there is a very good team behind me at Inverclyde Council and I look forward to working with them in a new role as chief executive. John Mundell leaves some big shoes to fill. I have worked with John since 2006 and, while I am looking forward to this new challenge I will be calling on his good counsel over the next few weeks to ensure a smooth transition.”

Aubrey has been corporate director of environment, regeneration and resources at Inverclyde Council since 2006. During that time he also taken on the challenging role of chief executive of Riverside Inverclyde since 2013.

Prior to joining Inverclyde, Aubrey was head of regeneration at North Tyneside Council from 2004.

Aubrey, a former part time infantry private in the British Army, was awarded the Gallantry Service Medal for active service. He has worked in councils across Scotland and England and is a qualified architect.