John Ward (Councillor Director)
After graduating from Oxford in 1980 with a BA in Chemistry, John embarked upon a career in I.T., working for Cap Gemini, a major international I.T. services and consulting firm. John became a councillor in May 2015. Just before taking early retirement, he was appointed to cabinet as Economic Growth portfolio holder in May 2017 and has also been a cabinet member for Finance during his time as a councillor. In January 2018, John became leader of the council, a position he held until the 2023 elections, and is currently joint Deputy Leader and Finance portfolio holder.