John W Spence

Board Member for Wales and Chair of Welsh Food Advisory Committee

Prior to his retirement in 2003, John Spence worked for over 36 years in local government in England and Wales, a substantial portion of which was at a senior and strategic level in District and, most recently, Unitary Authorities.

After a successful period as Director of Environment and Health for Swansea unitary authority, where he oversaw a number of complex and difficult structural changes, he was invited to fill a newly-created Deputy Chief Executive post, before stepping up to become the Council’s acting Chief Executive. During this period, he introduced a corporate planning process for the entire authority, linked to a performance management and personal appraisal system.

John has been an adviser to the Welsh Local Government Association and is a former Chair of one of the regional Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs) in Wales. He has also been an adviser to the Welsh Assembly’s Chief Medical Officer’s Public Health Review Board and has served on a number of other national advisory bodies. He was appointed as an independent non-executive Director of the Public Health Trust in Wales in October 2009.

He is a former President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Wales and has previously held the post of Chair of the Welsh Collaboration for Health and Environment and the Society of Public Protection Officers (Wales). John was appointed Honorary Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in 2009.

Since his retirement, John continues to work on an occasional basis with organisations in the public sector in England, Wales (including the National Assembly for Wales) and Northern Ireland.

Paid employment, office or profession

None

Directorships, whether paid or not

Non-Executive Director for Public Health Wales, an NHS Trust.

Any business, professional or public activities or interests that provides a regular source of income, recognition or some other benefit

Occasional consultancy work involving recruitment and selection for public sector clients.

Membership of public bodies, trusteeship of a charity or other public or private trust, or membership, role or affiliation to clubs or organisations

Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health.

Any shareholdings other than those held by a unit trust or similar arrangements where the Board member has no influence on the management of the shares

None