Two deputy chief executives appointed as top team reduced from five to three.

EAST Devon District Council’s slimmed down management team is now complete, following the appointment of Richard Cohen as one of two new deputy chief executives.

The other new deputy chief executive is Denise Lyon, currently a corporate director at EDDC.

The two new appointees will report to chief executive Mark Williams, seeing the council’s top officer team reduced from five to three.

Director Karime Hassan moved to Exeter City Council in February, Diccon Pearse leaves at the end of this month (April) and Peter Jeffs leaves next month (May).

Mr Cohen, 49, will be responsible for development, regeneration and partnership, including asset management and delivering major projects. He takes up his post on May 9.

His regeneration and job creation experience has included both small and local schemes and, more recently, larger strategic plans.

This experience began with the setting up of Inner City Task Forces in London and Plymouth. His subsequent strategic economic development and regeneration roles in Bristol and with the London Development Agency (LDA) have had job creation and economic development at their heart.

Richard says he is attracted to this role because it marks a return to local government in a position that he sees as important and influential, as well as new and challenging.