Meet the Solent Growth Partnership Board

Leader of Isle of Wight Council

Jonathan qualified as a Barrister in 1989. He practised primarily in the fields of Criminal and Personal Injury Law before moving into postgraduate skills-based teaching and course management.

He has remained a Parish Councillor since 2006 and was elected as an Isle of Wight Councillor in 2009, a role he has now held for 13 years. During this time, he has taken on a number of Cabinet Member positions and served as Leader of the Council from 2015 to 2017. He was re-elected to this leadership role in May 2026.

Jonathan has also worked in tourism, retail, and events management. In addition, he is a Trustee of several charitable organisations, primarily connected with education and the environment.

From 2017 to 2021, he served as Chair of the Island Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, during which time the Island was awarded UNESCO Biosphere status.

Chief Executive Officer of Isle of Wight Council

Wendy Perera is the Chief Executive of the Isle of Wight Council, since February 2023, having previously been Assistant Chief Executive. Her career in local government spans 40 years and she has held senior posts covering a number of areas of public service delivery

Wendy has led the way in many significant changes at the council, not least in her tireless work to steer the COVID-19 pandemic response throughout 2020-22, working diligently with her team, multi-agency partners and many others across the region, her actions and leadership helped to keep her community safe. In her role as Chief Executive Wendy has successfully initiated and driven improvements across the organisation and the Island for the benefit of all. Building and working with an extremely strong senior management team has led to the council being well-managed and financially balanced.

Wendy is deeply committed to the council growing its own future leaders who share its culture and values and will provide continuity and momentum to the delivery of the ambitious council agenda.
Wendy Perera is the Chief Executive of the Isle of Wight Council, since February 2023, having previously been Assistant Chief Executive. Her career in local government spans 40 years and she has held senior posts covering a number of areas of public service delivery

Wendy has led the way in many significant changes at the council, not least in her tireless work to steer the COVID-19 pandemic response throughout 2020-22, working diligently with her team, multi-agency partners and many others across the region, her actions and leadership helped to keep her community safe. In her role as Chief Executive Wendy has successfully initiated and driven improvements across the organisation and the Island for the benefit of all. Building and working with an extremely strong senior management team has led to the Council being well-managed and financially balanced.

Wendy is deeply committed to the Council growing its own future leaders who share its culture and values and will provide continuity and momentum to the delivery of the ambitious council agenda.

Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Chair of the Solent Growth Board

Born and bred in Portsmouth, Councillor Steve Pitt was first elected as a councillor in 2016 and is the Leader of Portsmouth City Council and also has cabinet responsibilities for Culture, Regeneration and Economic Development and Portsmouth International Port.

Steve has been involved in organising cultural events across the city for 20 years and is a champion of culture’s ability to drive regeneration and positively change lives.

He has run his own business and has worked across several sectors within the arts including as a music manager and promoter, and theatre director.

He is on the regional council for Arts Council South-West and is a trustee of Portsmouth Historic Quarter Trust. Steve is a Board Member of the Solent Freeport and is one of the Leaders of the Solent Growth Partnership (with Isle of Wight and Southampton), the successor to the Solent LEP.

Chief Executive of Portsmouth City Council

Leader of Southampton City Council

Cllr Sarah Bogle is a City Councillor in Southampton and Leader (since May 2026), with a portfolio covering all areas of Growth, Prosperity and Culture. She has represented the city (inner city Bargate ward) since 2006 and has undertaken many roles including Cabinet, chairing Health Scrutiny, trustee of a local charity and serving on a local NHS trust.

She spent the first 15 years of her working life in industry, mainly in manufacturing logistics. She has done a number of change and project management roles initially in industry then in local government and Higher Education. Her most recent role has supported Social Sciences academics at the University of Southampton to realise the real-world impact of their research. She is a keen supporter of culture and the arts and sings in a local choir.

Chief Executive of Southampton City Council

Managing Director

Jillian is Chief Executive of Southampton City Council having previously undertaken the role of Corporate Director of Wellbeing at Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole Council where she transformed services to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents as well as being responsible for a wide range of services including adult social care, public health, housing needs and homelessness.

In addition to her local government experience, Jillian previously held senior roles in national government including at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as Director of Local Government Policy and later Director of Resilience and Recovery where she led the Government’s Grenfell recovery programme.

Outside work, family is important to Jillian and weekends are often spent with her partner and their nieces and nephews. Jillian grew up just outside of Glasgow where she also attended university and she returns often to visit her parents, family and friends. To relax and stay well Jillian enjoys walking and pilates and has recently joined a community choir.