Georgina Blakemore joined Epping Forest District Council as Strategic Director in 2018, taking a leading role in its transformation programme. She has been Chief Executive since 1 April 2019. Since then she has overseen a radical remodelling of the District Council including the creation of Qualis – a company group wholly owned by the council.
Georgina instigated flexible working as part of an innovative People Strategy. As a result, Epping Forest District Council was particularly well prepared for flexible and home working at the start of the Pandemic in 2020. The process has led to further innovations including the remodelling of its offices and the letting of top floor space to a private sector office leasing company.
Prior to joining Epping Forest District Council, Georgina held a number of roles across the public and private sectors.
Georgina joined Epping Forest after a short spell at the London Borough of Redbridge. From 2013-2018, she was Head of Customer Services at Basildon District Council, which included a period as programme director of the ‘Future Basildon’ transformation programme. The period from 2005-2014 saw her as strategic change manager at Colchester Borough Council, before which she was managing director at a luxury brand retailer, Lilestone PLC from 2001-2005.
Georgina was operations manager at the White Company from 1998-2001, before which she had further retail and logistics roles dating back to 1987.