THE CHIEF executive of Glasgow City Council is to leave her job this year.

Annemarie O'Donnell, the council's top official, has announced she will step down in May after almost ten years in the post and a 30-year career in local government in the city.

Ms O'Donnell has been in the top job at the City Chambers since 2014, overseeing a change in administration from Labour to the SNP, was in charge throughout the covid pandemic and during the equal pay court cases and the ultimate settlements totalling hundreds of millions of pounds.

She will stay on in the role until a new chief executive is appointed, with recruitment starting immediately.

Ms O'Donnell said she now wants to have "room in her life" for other things.

She said:  “I’ve been privileged to have had the opportunity to serve our city for longer than I could ever have imagined when I joined the District Council more than 30 years ago – and fortunate to share nearly my whole working life with people that have been so dedicated to Glasgow and its people.

“But, I was still in my forties when I was appointed Chief Executive and, since then, nearly a decade has passed in the blink of an eye.

“It’s not a job that really allows you time or capacity to do or even think about much else and, when I look forward to the next ten years, I want to be able to start making room in my life for other things."

She said her successor will have a big task ahead with the council's budget expected to continue to face a shortfall and demand for services increasing.

She added: “Everybody knows that local government has faced extraordinary challenges in recent years and I think it would be a mistake for any of us to imagine that isn’t going to continue.

“However, every day, I work with colleagues who are innovative and resilient; totally committed to this city, and formidable leaders in their own right.

“Whoever follows me will be ready to meet those challenges, with a great team alongside them.”

Susan Aitken, Leader of the Council, praised Ms O'Donnell's role in dealing with major problems throughout her time.

She said: “It’s difficult to overstate Annemarie’s contribution to Glasgow during her long career at the council, and particularly as Chief Executive.

“Her calm demeanour belies a real passion for the city and determination to make things better, especially for our residents and communities who face the biggest challenges.

“In a big city, there’s not a day goes by without some new issue being thrown up, often very daunting ones.

“Annemarie’s professionalism, her focus on problem-solving and partnership-building, her trust in her team to deliver, her willingness to face tough decisions head-on, and her compassion for those who’ll be affected by those decisions, have helped to see Glasgow through everything from major fires to a global pandemic."

Ms O'Donnell began working with Glasgow District Council in 1990 as a solicitor focusing on construction, housing and planning.

In 1996, after the creation of Glasgow City Council in local government reorganisation she she was promoted to Chief Solicitor.

In 2003,  she was appointed Assistant Head of Legal and Administrative Services and later spent two years on secondment as Depute Director of Social Work Services.

She returned to Corporate Services in 2007, serving as Assistant Director and later Director, before succeeding George Black as Chief Executive at the end of 2014.

She was awarded the OBE for services to local government in 2022.