Chief Executive, Executive and Lead Directors

Chief Executive, Executive Directors and Lead Directors of Norfolk County Council.

Chief Executive - Tom McCabe

Tom joined Norfolk as Executive Director for Commercial and Environmental Services in September 2013. He became Head of Paid Service in December 2018 and Chief Executive in June 2023.

Previously Tom has worked for a number of county, city and unitary councils including Kent, Lancashire and Liverpool.

Executive Director of Strategy and Transformation - Paul Cracknell

Paul joined the Council Spring 2021. His remit covers a range of corporate services, including HR, Communications, Intelligence and Analytics, and Transformation.

Previously, Paul was Deputy Chief Executive at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, with a portfolio that included Operational Director for a range of clinical services. He led a range of centralised services including strategy and planning, transformation, HR and communications.

Executive Director of Children's Services - Sara Tough

Sara's role is a key statutory one, leading a department which combines children's social care with support to deliver excellence in education countywide.

Sara is a social worker by profession, with 32 years of experience delivering services to children and young people.  She has held a number of senior roles over the last 10 years, leading social care, education and community health services.

Sara was the Director of Children Services for three-and-a-half years with Dorset County Council and led a successful bid for £2m from the Department for Education's social care innovation fund, to rethink social work.  In April 2017, Sara took on the additional role of adult and community services. 

Sara spent four years as elected director on the board of ADCS (2011-2015).  She advised ministers in the production of the 2004 Children Act, contributed to the publication 'Narrowing the Gap' and was part of the expert group for prevention and early intervention, producing the publication 'Grasping the Nettle'.

Executive Director of Adult Social Services - Ian Wake

Ian Wake joined Norfolk County Council in October 2024. As the statutory Director of Adult Social Services, he is responsible for all aspects of Adult Social Care. His directorate also hosts the council's Public Health function, and he leads on strategic relationships with Norfolk's health partners including sitting on the Norfolk and Waveney NHS Integrated Care Board and Integrated Care Partnership.

Prior to joining Norfolk County Council, Ian was the Executive Director of Adults, Housing, and Health at Thurrock Council. Leading a successful transformation, integration, and improvement programme of a wide portfolio of services including adult social care, public health, community development, libraries and housing, in conjunction with the NHS and third sector partners. He is a qualified Consultant in Public Health and was Thurrock's Director of Public Health for six years. He also acted as the council's Chief Executive for seven months.

Steve Miller, Director of Culture and Heritage, Lead for Communities and Environment

Steve Miller, Director of Culture and Heritage, is responsible for leading and managing the services that conserve, enhance, and celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of Norfolk. This includes Norfolk Museums Service, one of the largest county museum services in Britain operating 10 museums across Norfolk. The service showcases the rich and diverse history of Norfolk from prehistoric times to the present day. He also oversees the Planning and Environment teams, which provide strategic planning, environmental protection, and biodiversity services for the county. He ensures that these services work collaboratively with other stakeholders and partners to deliver sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation in Norfolk.

Prior to working at Norfolk County Council, Steve was the Chief Executive of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, one of the largest independent museums in the UK and has also worked in a variety of roles across the cultural sector.

Grahame Bygrave - Director of Highways, Transport and Waste, Lead for Infrastructure

Grahame's remit ranges from highways to waste and recycling centres, transport and infrastructure projects.  The common factor with these services is that they all impact on local communities, residents and visitors to Norfolk every day. They are based right across the county, delivering services direct to local communities. Many of these services are universal and accessed by everyone as part of their day to day lives. For example, everyone relies on the highway network for moving around sustainably including walking, cycling, travelling by bus or making sure others are able to visit, and to receive goods and services.

Grahame has been with the Council since 2004 and has held a variety of roles , which have delivered services and infrastructure improvements across the whole county.   He is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Chartered Manager. Before joining the Council, Grahame worked for various Civil Engineering Consultants in London and Norwich.

Ceri Sumner, Director of Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service

As the Director of Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, Ceri Sumner is responsible for leading and managing the service that protects the people, property and environment of Norfolk from fires and other emergencies. She is also responsible for Trading Standards, ensuring a fair and equitable trading environment for the consumers and businesses of Norfolk.  Within Fire and Rescue, she oversees the operational response, prevention and protection activities, community safety initiatives, and collaboration with other blue light services and partners. She also ensures that the service has the appropriate resources, equipment, training and governance to deliver its statutory duties and strategic objectives. Ceri is the national lead for Health and Wellbeing on behalf of NFCC. Ceri joined Norfolk Fire and Rescue as Chief Fire Officer in September 2022. She has over 25 years experience spanning the private and public sector.

In addition to her previous work within NCC, including Director of Community, Information and Learning, her previous experience spans management consultancy, as well as in house roles for firms such as Centrica and British Airports Authority where she held a number of roles including Organisation Development, Passenger Insight Lead and Head of Customer Strategy.