New academic challenge for Corporate Director
Glyn Evans, Corporate Director of Business Change at Birmingham City Council, is to leave his post on July 1.
He initiated and has overseen the council's ambitious business transformation programme, launched in 2006. The ambitious programme set out to save £1 billion over a ten-year period whilst at the same time significantly improving the services delivered to the people of Birmingham. He will leave with the project firmly on track to meet its targets.
Glyn is moving on a secondment basis to work as a Senior Research Associate in the International Centre for Governance and Public Management (IGPM) at Warwick Business School.
He joined Birmingham City Council initially as Director of Business Solutions and IT in 2003. In order to support the business transformation 
At the half way point, £244.2million of savings have already been banked through the programme, which is modernising the council both in terms of front-line operations and behind the scenes to ensure better services for citizens.
With £93.6million of recurring savings already secured for each year going forward, this means £712million of the £1billion projected for the ten years to 2016 have now been secured.
And importantly for taxpayers, the net benefit to the council's general fund was £14.1million last year, rising in 2011/12 to £19.5million - equivalent to almost six per cent of all Council Tax collected in the city, which would have to be found in other ways if it were not for business transformation.
With most of the business transformation workstreams now entering the “business as usual” phase, the council's overarching corporate transformation team is being dissolved as planned, with future responsibility for the new modern, improved ways of working now resting with individual service areas as per the business cases approved several years ago.
Glyn said: “My strength as always been in the area of business change, and as far as Birmingham goes that mission has been a successful one.
“Through business transformation, the foundations for better service delivery have been successfully laid and the benefits are being reaped - it is now in the hands of those who work across the council on a day-to-day basis to ensure that this progress continues.
“I am going to miss the challenge that Birmingham has provided me. But the lessons I have learned here will be put to good use in my new academic role, in which I will be able to fly the flag for the city's work on the transformation agenda.”
Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “As the political lead for business transformation, my job has been made much easier thanks to the support offered by senior officers such as Glyn.
“He has a passion and understanding of the complexities of business change, which deservedly led to him being named as president of SOCITM this year.
“We will miss him, but I am sure he will be an excellent ambassador for Birmingham in his new role.”
Stephen Hughes, Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council, said: “Much has been done to modernise the services we provide to citizens over the last five years - Glyn has been at the centre of everything we have achieved.
“Transformational change is not easy, and it would have been much harder without the skills that Glyn has brought to the city.
“He will most definitely be an asset for his new organisation.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Business Transformation is Birmingham City Council's ambitious nine-strand programme which aims to modernise and enhance services delivered across the whole authority to citizens. It is projected that the programme will realise benefits of around £1billion over the ten years to 2016.
2. Service Birmingham is a strategic partnership between Birmingham City Council and Capita which will support a transformation in the way the council works; improving services and contributing to its efficiency agenda. This strategic partnership forms part of the council’s objective to find better and more innovative ways of delivering services for the benefit of employees and citizens. The principle of this joint venture focuses on the provision of cost effective, sector leading, ICT services and in supporting the council in achieving its business transformation objectives.
For more information, or to arrange interviews, contact Kris Kowalewski on 0121 303 3621
