Manchester council chief executive Joanne Roney CBE is set to leave the town hall after seven years, the Manchester Evening News can reveal.
Having taken over from Sir Howard Bernstein in 2017, she is expected to become top boss at troubled Birmingham council, returning to her hometown.
Ms Roney, who moved to Manchester following a nine-year stint running Wakefield council, is the first woman to serve as the city's top officer.
She initially worked with veteran council leader Sir Richard Leese, before Bev Craig took over. She oversaw the town hall's response to the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack and the Covid-19 pandemic.
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