Emma Bennett, Chief Executive biography

Emma Bennett is the Chief Executive of Walsall Council. She was appointed to the role in October 2023.

Prior to this, Emma was the Executive Director of Families for the City of Wolverhampton Council. This role encompassed Children’s Services including skills and adult education, adult social care and public health. Emma has a professional background in children’s social work, having undertaken a wide range of frontline practitioner and management roles across children’s social care.

Emma has over 26 years’ experience in local government working for Staffordshire Council and Doncaster Council before returning to the West Midlands in 2007.

Emma has a proven track record of delivering strong leadership and has experience working at a senior level in a range of demanding ‘people services’ positions over 10 years. She has played a major role in transformation and change whilst in Wolverhampton, which have developed sustained improvements on children, young people and families. Emma is a strong system leader with a belief in a co-production approach to enable resilient communities and more sustainable public services.

Emma is the Secretary to the Association of Black Country Authorities and the Black Country Executive Joint Committee. She also represents Walsall Council on several external forums across the region including the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP).