Roney will depart from Manchester for his return home to Birmingham

Seven years after replacing Sir Howard Bernstein as MCC chief executive, Joanne Roney is poised to take the top job at embattled Birmingham City Council, a move that would see her return to her home city.

Joanne Roney, 62, is to be announced as head of the paid service in Birmingham at a later date, it is understood.

Roney’s move to the West Midlands will see her join a struggling authority after the city council effectively declared bankruptcy last year.

As a result, government commissioners were installed to oversee the council’s recovery journey.

Former chief executive Deborah Cadman left in March, opening the door for Roney’s return home and the challenge of turning around the council’s fortunes.

Roney, who was born in Birmingham and attended university there, began his career in local government as an apprentice at the city council.

Back in Manchester, the hunt for her replacement will begin immediately.

As Roney did, whoever gets the job will have big shoes to fill.

She took on the unenviable task of replacing Bernstein in 2017, joining from Wakefield Council. Her mission, as far as the real estate industry was concerned, was to keep the wheels of regeneration moving.

Highlights of her Manchester internship include delivering the venue for Factory International events and turning the dial on the long-awaited regeneration of Strangeways.

During her tenure, she also led Manchester’s response to the Manchester Arena bomb and the Covid-19 pandemic.