Mark Smith has had a long and diverse career in local government. Over the last 25 years, he's held senior positions at several councils, including Kennet District, Wiltshire Council, and Reading Borough Council. For the past eight years, he's been the Chief Executive of Chippenham Town Council, overseeing significant achievements such as transferring assets and services from Wiltshire Council, creating a successful Neighbourhood Plan, and working towards becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

In this interview, Mark talks about his career and refelects on his time at Chippenham Town Council, the challenges he's faced and the cultural changes he's been able to bring about. Mark also condisers what the future may hold, both for Chippenham as a town and for the wider local council sector.