By Phil Cooper Walsall MBC chief executive, Annie Shepperd, is moving to take on the top job at Southwark LBC, in one of three top-tier moves just announced. ‘Walsall has meant so much to me and it is only an exciting opportunity of a lifetime that would take me away from the area,’ said Mrs Shepperd, 54. ‘It [Southwark] has huge challenges and I think my time at Walsall has prepared me for this bigger job.’ Both councils are currently rated as three-star authorities and ‘improving well’ by the Audit Commission, and both have progressed from having been categorised as ‘weak’ in earlier CPAs. But Walsall’s improvement curve, from when it was condemned as the worst authority in the country, has been steeper. ‘Mrs Shepperd joined us when we were in special measures and since then, Walsall has gone from strength to strength, ‘ said leader, Tom Ansell. Before joining Walsall, Mrs Shepperd – who will be paid up to £156,000 a year – was a social services and housing director at Liverpool City Council. She has also worked for Bath and North East Somerset Council, and for Sutton, Ealing and Wandsworth LBCs. She will succeed Bob Coomber, who is retiring. Meanwhile, Liverpool councillors are recommending Colin Hilton for the authority’s £200,000-a-year top job. The 51-year-old former teacher has been interim chief executive since the departure of Sir David Henshaw in March. He was previously the council’s executive director of education. And Bradford City Council, which famously offered £200,000 for its chief executive post in 2003, has announced the appointment of 41-year-old Tony Reeves as chief executive. The council said his salary was still being negotiated. Currently, Wakefield City Council’s deputy chief executive, Mr Reeves will take up the post in September, after Philip Robinson’s retirement. mjnews@hgluk.com