Oldham’s new ‘timeshare’ boss, her six-figure-salary, and what it means for Greater Manchester

A major town hall shake-up across Oldham and Tameside was officially confirmed on Tuesday, October 29.

It was triggered as Tameside City Council rubber-stamped Harry Catherall as its new chief executive, after he was seconded to the crisis-hit council to ‘help oversee improvements’.

The two councils agreed to ‘share’ the CEO, with Catherall remaining in Oldham one day a week. But the decision leaves a gaping hole in the borough’s executive team for the remainder of the working week.

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This is due to be filled by Shelley Kipling, previously the assistant CEO for the council.

Here, we examine the key questions surrounding Kipling’s appointment.

Who is the new boss?

Oldham has promoted an assistant chief exec to the role of acting CEO: Shelley Kipling, who has worked in local government since 2003.

The University of Manchester graduate, who studied Politics and Modern History, first started her career as a council officer in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

She moved to Oldham in 2009 as head of communications, where she worked for six years before moving to Manchester City Council in the same role.

Apparently the lure of Oldham proved too strong to resist, and Kipling returned to the council in 2019, first in a senior strategy role and then as assistant chief executive.

Speaking of the appointment, Oldham council leader Arooj Shah said: “I’m really pleased that we have appointed Shelley Kipling to this crucial role. Her experience, energy, and love for Oldham shone through the interview process. The breadth of her knowledge and commitment to Oldham makes her the ideal person to step in to Harry's shoes.

"Shelley