New Chief Executive

Laurence was latterly Director of the Scotland Office, a role he held since November 2020.

Prior to this, Laurence was the Head of Strategy and Communications at the City of Edinburgh Council. In this position, he held responsibilities for corporate strategy, council wide change and performance, and communications.

He previously held a number of different senior civil service roles in the UK Government. He played a key role in the creation of City Deals and the wider devolution agenda. Laurence was the Head of the Cities Policy Unit in the Cabinet Office from 2013 to 2015 and the Head of Devolution Strategy at the Cities and Local Growth Unit from 2015 to 2016.

He has replaced Monica Patterson, who retired earlier this year, as East Lothian Council's Chief Executive.

Reflecting on his first week in the role, Laurence said: 

"I am delighted to have started my new role with East Lothian Council and am really looking forward to working with all colleagues and our partners to ensure local residents continue receiving high-quality services.

“I felt a real sense of pride as I arrived at John Muir House for my first day in the job on Tuesday. On meeting new colleagues throughout the week, I’ve been struck by their clear professionalism, expertise and commitment to East Lothian. I’ve found it hugely inspiring.

“The breadth of responsibilities which colleagues have is also a reminder of how many people rely on our services, day in day out. I’ve picked up on a strong sense of the council values - Enabling, Leading and Caring – embedded in our work.

“I look forward to getting out and about to meet and hear from people within local communities in the weeks and months ahead.

“Like all local authorities and across the wider public sector, there are significant challenges for us to address together which mean we must look at how we adapt and change approaches to service delivery. But there is no doubt that I also join the council at an exciting time for the county. I am excited about playing my role - working with partners across the public, private and third sectors - to ensure East Lothian has a successful and sustainable future, that everyone can benefit from.”