Althea has been the Chief Executive of the London Borough of Newham since 2019.  She is leading an ambitious programme of change under the Mayor’s administration which is delivering on the overarching strategic principles of a healthy, happy and well Newham; community wealth building; brighter futures for all children and young people to thrive; tackling racism inequality and disproportionality and putting people at the heart of everything we do.

Prior to joining Newham, she was the strategic director for resources in Brent Council and the Chief Operating Officer in Waltham Forest Council before that.

Before Althea returned to local government in 2010, she was a senior director in a national policing improvement agency where she led people strategy, workforce modernisation and change programmes affecting the policing workforce of almost 250,000 officers and staff.

Prior to this, she was a deputy director in the National Offender Management Service where she was the lead for people strategy and workforce change.  Althea has also worked at Enfield and Hammersmith and Fulham Councils but spent the first 10 years of her career working in supported housing organisations for homeless and vulnerable people.

Althea is committed to tackling disproportionality and is the co-sponsor of the Chief Executives of London Council’s Large Employers Working Group and mentors a number of colleagues across sectors.  She is also the sponsor of the National Graduate Development Programme’s Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic network.

Althea is a keen supporter of the Lifeboats Charity the RNLI where she is a member of their people committee and chairs the Racism, Discrimination and Diversity Action board.