Geoff Wild
Geoff is a highly experienced Director of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer, with a wide variety of top-level public sector strategic, legal and leadership experience.
He has worked with various types of local authority and is a founder of a private sector law firm. He has specialist experience in local government law, regulation, ethics and governance.
Geoff is a pioneer of innovative and collaborative working between private and public sectors. He has instilled a private sector ethos and entrepreneurship as integral parts of public sector services that he has delievered.
- Led and managed some of the largest teams of professional staff in Legal Services, Democratic Services (including scrutiny and elections), Information Governance and Civic Office in the country. This includes teams of over 200 at Kent County Council (the largest county council in England), more than 125 at Surrey County Council, and over 70 at Cornwall Council (the largest unitary county in England). Used to managing budgets in excess of £20m.
- Close alignment with elected Members and senior officers to devise, develop and implement strategic policies and change programmes.
- Expert handler of challenging, politically sensitive and controversial issues, including successfully negotiating the departure terms of an incumbent chief executive.
- Transformed and energised a variety of services and budgets, including Democratic Services, Elections, Information Governance, Procurement and Corporate Communications.
- Pioneered collaborative working (with private and public sector colleagues), through benchmarking, marketing and performance measurements for legal services across England. Succeeded in instilling private sector ethos and entrepreneurship as integral parts of public sector legal services.
- Consultant to various bodies across the UK on modernising and improving performance of legal services.
- Transforming professional teams
- Strengthening governance
- Driving efficiency
- Improving performance
- Increasing risk appetite
- Maximising income generation
Career
- Interim Monitoring Officer, Isle of Wight Council (Oct 2019 – Nov 2020)
- Interim Director of Law & Governance , Surrey County Council (Feb 2019 – Oct 2019)
- Interim Head of Legal, Cornwall Council (May 2018 – Feb 2019)
- Director and Chief Executive, Invicta Law Ltd Founder, (Mar 2016 – Apr 2018)
- Director of Governance & Law, Kent County Council (Apr 2006 – Nov 2016)
- Senior Information Risk Owner, Kent County Council (Apr 2011 – Jun 2016)
- Clerk to Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Kent County Council (Apr 2012 – Jun 2016)
- County Secretary, Kent County Council (Apr 1998 – Mar 2006)
- Head of Legal Services, Kent County Council (May 1997 – Apr 1998)
- Senior Solicitor, Kent County Council (Aug 1989 – May 1997)
Education
- Industrial Society Management Training
- Diploma in Local Government Law and Practice
- College of Law, Chester: Law Society’s Solicitors Final Examinations
- University of Hull – LL.B
Licenses and Certificates
- European Computer Driving Licence
- Ashridge/IDeA Advanced Leadership
- Certified Internal QMS Auditor