Essex County Council is set to lose its communications head Mark
Oakes following his appointment as communications director for Surrey
County Council. In an uncharacteristically rapid recruitment move by
recent standards in local government, Oakes will join Surrey early next
year, replacing Alison Cawley who left in October to join
PricewaterhouseCoopers as a head-hunter in its local government
practice. Oakes will report to chief executive Paul Coen and oversee a
team of 12.