Olga is the Executive Director of Resources (S151 Officer) at the London Borough of Enfield. She is responsible for the finance, digital services, revenues & benefits and procurement teams.

We sat down with Olga in April 2025 to discuss her career journey so far and where she believes the future of finance is heading.

Hi, Olga! Thanks for joining us today. Can you kick us off by describing your career journey to date? 

I embarked on my career in local government straight out of university. As I was finishing my degree in maths at Cambridge, I was contemplating my next steps and chose local government as a sector.  I believed it would be more interesting and complex than the private sector, as it isn’t driven by profit. The financial bottom line doesn’t capture the depth of what you’re trying to achieve. Given my background in maths, accounting seemed like the most obvious entry point. 

I joined the CIPFA graduate scheme, starting at Haringey. Just before completing the scheme, I moved to the House of Commons. My role there involved briefing Select Committees, reviewing government department financial information, and writing briefings to help Select Committees question and investigate issues. This experience taught me how to communicate complex financial information to non-accountants. Drafting skills and explaining issues in a clear, non-technical way are a real focus at the House of Commons. I was fortunate to have my draft briefings dissected and sent back to me for rewriting repeatedly until they were right. Why should MPs care about the point I am making, why is it important to the population? I am grateful for that as I’m sure it would have been easier for the Head of Financial Scrutiny to just rewrite it himself! One of my career highlights was drafting a Communities and Local Government Select Committee report on social housing regulation, which was debated in the House of Commons Chamber. Seeing my work contribute to social housing regulation amendments was very rewarding. 

After the House of Commons, I joined Transport for London as a financial modeller, assisting with major procurements. I then returned to local government at Brent Council as a Head of Finance, supporting commercial projects, joint ventures and housing companies before rotating to a more standard finance role supporting environment and communities, property and regeneration and managing the energy and insurance teams.  

I then moved to Enfield as Director of Finance for Capital, which included management of the finance teams for treasury, capital, housing revenue account and pension investments, the procurement team and subsequently taking on Revs and Bens. When the Section 151 Officer left, I stepped into that role temporarily and am now doing it permanently. The Chief Executive had created a positive, collaborative and listening culture so I felt supported to take that step. 

The Chief Executive had created a positive, collaborative and listening culture, so I felt supported to take that step.

What I love about local government is seeing the impact of our work on the day-to-day experience of our residents. 

What are the current challenges in local government finance for you and your organisation? 

The financial challenges today seem tougher than ever. Delivering statutory services within the funding envelope has become increasingly difficult. Stepping into the S151 role has been challenging. Our issues are demand-led statutory services like social care, children’s services, and temporary accommodation, coupled with significant underfunding.

There’s a strong sense of collective responsibility around the financial challenge

At Enfield, there’s a strong sense of collective responsibility around the financial challenge. Balancing our responsibilities and statutory services with a diminishing budget requires us to adapt and deliver services differently. This collective commitment from every Executive Director, the Chief Exec, and Members has made it possible for me to step into this challenging role. As an organisation, there’s a willingness to listen and adapt. We have an ambitious capital programme at Enfield that was conceived in different economic times. Inflation went into double digits and interest rates rose significantly; we had to adapt these projects so that they still delivered for Enfield’s residents but protected the financial position. 

There’s little resilience in our finances; our reserves are low, so the government has provisionally allowed us to use some capital receipts for specific revenue overspends while we build up our resilience. But we have a good track record of delivering savings and a great finance team with the right skills to adapt and deal with the challenges, and that’s where our resilience lies.  

What do you think are the skills required in a modern finance function?

Some of the skills required in a modern finance function have evolved. Financial modelling and regeneration experience are essential for us, along with data presentation and the ability to explain financial information clearly. The CIPFA accountancy qualification isn’t focussed on some of these essential modern skills, so officers have trained themselves up separately for some skills and for others we’ve brought them in from different sectors. We’ll have to reflect on how to continue to develop our finance team. But I’m proud of how our people have upskilled themselves. 

Recruiting the right expertise, particularly in corporate accounting roles, remains a challenge. Many councils cut graduate schemes and training budgets during austerity, leading to staff shortages and insufficient training. Now we are largely reliant on informal training by line managers – so there is a risk that skills gaps develop over time.  

At Enfield, we’re trying to grow our own talent, taking on apprentices in the Treasury team and investing time in developing our staff. 

How have you found the transition into leadership roles within finance?

What is most different about moving into senior leadership is the outward-looking focus and working closer with Members. Also, setting the financial tone for the organisation’s financial sustainability is crucial. I am further away from spreadsheets; I need to distil messages and communicate effectively.  

I’ve been really impressed with the level of knowledge and wisdom of our Members at Enfield, both the Administration and the Opposition. They understand the wider national context whilst driving forward the agenda of the Council.  

Peer networks like the Deputy Treasurers group and Section 151 group have been invaluable for support and learning. I’m particularly grateful when people share the unvarnished view of their challenges and what has worked and what hasn’t.  

Looking forward, what do you see as the challenges in local government finance?

Looking ahead, local government finance faces significant challenges. We have been in crisis mode for some time now, and that’s not sustainable. There is a real need for the upcoming local government finance reforms to make sure that areas are funded fairly.

We have been in crisis mode for some time now, and that’s not sustainable.

I’m hopeful for a conversation between local and central government about the number and scale of requirements on councils to deliver statutory services. Much of our service provision is based on outdated legislation which doesn’t reflect modern issues.  Funding for local government, as a whole, is not keeping pace with financial pressures from adult social care, children’s social care and homelessness. So, the only way I can see of ‘squaring that circle’ is a simplification and reduction in the statutory requirements on local government.

Finally, what advice would you give someone entering local government finance at the start of their career? 

To those entering local government finance, remember that you have the power to do and change more than you think. As a new graduate, you might spot ways to improve processes. Speak up and make suggestions.  

Remember that you have the power to change more than you think.

Amidst the challenges, we can make a difference. Every individual in the sector does contribute to improving the lives of our residents and has the power to improve that. Everyone of us in local government finance has the power to make a meaningful difference in our communities. Every voice matters, every idea counts. Whether you’re just starting out or stepping into leadership, know this: you have the power to drive change, inspire the people around you, and build a better future for our residents.