Cllr Karen Kilgour was first elected to the council to represent the former Fenham ward in 2014.
Cllr Kilgour has been a member for West Fenham since boundary changes in 2018. Prior to her appointment as Leader, she held a number of prominent positions within the council’s leadership group.
She was first appointed to cabinet under former Leader Nick Forbes, holding responsibility for adult social care and health. She then became Deputy Leader for the first time in 2021, In recent years she has had responsibility for public health.