‘Reputation management’ and ‘organisational culture change’ are key strengths in Kim Ryley’s armoury – and he’s bringing them to bear on Cheshire East council.

The acting chief executive, whose first job was in management at a London polytechnic, sounds like a teacher reporting on a wayward child as he describes his first impressions.

"I thought ‘here is a council that has huge potential to make a bigger impact for the benefit of people’. It dates back to when the authority was first formed, when it didn’t establish an identity or set out clear priorities. Lots of good ideas, but not the focus to put them on the ground. I feel it lacked full confidence."

Mr Ryley is credited with improving councils in Hull and Shropshire but it’s not yet clear how long his latest venture will last – his initial 16-week tenure costing £53k could be doubled or even become long-term.

Mr Ryley, who has spent a lifetime in the public sector, completed a peer review of CEC in July, is determined to make changes.

He said: "It’s about making Cheshire East a good place to live and work. I’ve got 35 years’ experience in the public sector and I can make the system sing."

His first priority is staff morale, although he admits 1,000 jobs could be going over three years. "Their commitment and dedication are high – but the key to making it better is to have clarity about what the council wants to do in the next three years.

"This includes growth in the local economy, growth in jobs. Some things will have to give – there will be trade-offs, but we are ambitious."

During Mr Ryley’s time at Shropshire, the Tory-led council sent letters of dismissal to its entire workforce informing them they would be re-hired the next day if they agreed to a pay cut. Mr Ryley told the local paper there had been a choice between staff accepting changes in terms and conditions or facing job losses. "That was a trade-off they were willing to make’.

On the tricky subject of his and other chief executives’ pay, he admits salaries are high. "But this is not a corner-shop operation – there are 7,000 staff and a budget of around £600m a year – if the council was a FTSE 500 company I would be on more than £2m." He accepts that Lyme Green – where the council spent £800,000 on building work without planning permission - was bad for its reputation.

"Lyme Green will never happen again. Reputation isn’t about spin and PR, it’s about doing things well and then getting the credit for that. Waste, potholes, parks – people rarely give credit for jobs done well every day."

He says he won’t restructure management but will be ‘reshaping roles of responsibility’. He says he gets on well with CEC leader, businessman Michael Jones. "We have very different backgrounds – I’ve only ever worked in the public sector so I understand things can take time whereas he wants everything done now. His passion is infectious."

He admits he’s not yet had a chance to get to grips with Macclesfield – but says he will be spending every Friday in his town hall office.

As a result, he’s unable to comment on Tesco and isn’t fully up to speed on the proposed Wilson Bowden redevelopment.

"I do need to have a walk round and talk to people properly."

The grandfather of three is a fan of jazz, reading, travel and tai chi who graduated with a history and American Studies degree before doing a Masters in Louisiana.

He moved into higher education management, became an educational director and then a chief executive in Wales, Shropshire and Hull.

He’s come a long way from his beginnings in South Wales, where his mum was a grocery shop manager while his dad worked in a variety of jobs.

"Sometimes we were affluent with a colour TV and a nice car in the drive and then times could be hard – it definitely makes you appreciate the good times."