Shokat is currently the Chief Executive of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and has 34 years’ experience of working across the public sector, in local government and health, at a senior level.

Prior to joining Sandwell, Shokat was at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, where he was Executive Director of Core Services, Deputy Returning Officer, and Senior Information Risk Owner. Overseeing a directorate of nearly 900 people, he was responsible for IT, Customer Services, Human Resources and Organisational Development, Legal, Elections, Governance Services, Finance, Revenues and Benefits, Audit, Commercial, Communications and Marketing – in addition to overseeing the council’s transformation programme.

Prior to that, Shokat was Assistant Chief Executive at Rotherham Council, where he was part of the senior leadership team who were responsible for bringing the council out of intervention and being part of one of the fastest improving councils in the country. Shokat’s professional background is in Human Resources and Organisational Development, and he is a Chartered Companion of the CIPD. Shokat also has extensive experience of working in the voluntary sector.