Board Member – Director of Finance and Procurement at Essex County Council
Nicole Wood is Director of Finance and Procurement at Essex County Council, leading a team of over 300, in a centralized ‘Centre of Excellence’ model. Her portfolio also includes: Commercial (leading the development and implementation of Essex’s commercial framework, project pipeline and investment strategy (including new commercial vehicles and advising on existing commercial and traded companies); and financial transactional services (Financial assessments, payments, income and debt). She also leads across political portfolios given the breadth of the role and also has direct experience of complex capital delivery and programme management (having been a Director for these areas).
Nicole has 15 years’ experience at a Chief Officer level in multiple disciplines and has extensive experience in leading complex change – both within organisations and across partner boundaries and ranging from customer to capital projects up to £220m turnover. She has experience of leading various professional and support teams – across corporate services, finance, programme and contract management, and of leadership of successful diverse teams through rationalization, ranging from small teams to direct operational leadership of 1000 staff. In addition Nicole has diverse experience of leading organisation change (in Children’s Services, Education, Property, Customer Services). She has also led turnarounds within financially failing services, providing excellent financial foundations to springboard service change.