Welcome from Nazeya Hussain, Executive Director of Growth and Place

I’m delighted to have joined Richmond and Wandsworth Councils as Executive Director of Growth and Place. This is an extraordinary opportunity to lead in one of the most distinctive and ambitious partnerships in local government – and it’s why I was so excited to take on this role.

What drew me here is the scale and diversity of what these two boroughs represent. Together, we serve a population of more than 500,000 residents, spanning historic town centres and iconic riversides, creative quarters and thriving growth hubs. This unique combination offers a platform for place leadership that is genuinely city-scale – with the chance to shape communities, drive regeneration, and deliver sustainable growth that benefits everyone.

This is also a brand-new directorate, created to bring fresh thinking to how we plan, grow, and invest in our places. We’re building something from the ground up – and that means these roles are not just about delivering today, but about shaping the future. We have adopted a place-based approach to growth, ensuring we employ system-thinking to draw on the strength of partnership across our boroughs and drive better outcomes for all.

We’re now creating two pivotal roles in my leadership team:

• Director of Place Planning – our strategic lead for planning, shaping spatial policy, building control and transport strategy to enable good growth across the boroughs.
• Director of Place-Based Growth – driving growth, strategic regeneration, investment and long-term economic transformation that improves opportunity and prosperity for all.

I’m looking for experienced leaders who bring energy, creativity, and new ideas – people who can inspire teams, work confidently at the political interface, and help us set the pace for innovation and impact. These are career-defining opportunities to lead programmes that will leave a lasting legacy for diverse communities. If you thrive in dynamic environments and want to help shape places and partnerships that set the standard for London and beyond, this is your chance.

Together, we can create places that deliver lasting benefits – for people, for businesses, and for the future.