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London Fire Brigade (LFB) has announced the appointment of two new Deputy Commissioners as part of its senior leadership reshuffle following the recent appointment of Commissioner Jonathan Smith.
Spencer Sutcliff, currently LFB’s Assistant Commissioner, and Mat Walker, Deputy Chief Fire Officer at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, have been named to the Brigade’s two Deputy Commissioner roles. Their appointments follow the departure of Deputy Commissioner Charlie Pugsley, who has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer of the Building Safety Regulator.
Commissioner Smith praised both appointments, highlighting the depth of operational expertise and leadership experience Sutcliff and Walker will bring to the Brigade. “Spencer has been with LFB for 27 years and, as well as the knowledge and experience he brings, has demonstrated exceptional leadership during that time, most recently as Assistant Commissioner responsible for LFB’s 103 fire stations. During that time he has overseen significant improvements to the Brigade’s performance and the service delivered to communities,” Smith said.
“Mat brings invaluable senior leadership experience from his time serving in North Yorkshire where he has been Deputy Commissioner for the last three years. Through that time he has helped to drive improvements across the service, and he brings a wealth of operational expertise across fire, flooding and national resilience,” Smith added.
Sutcliff will step into the role of Deputy Commissioner and Operational Director for Prevention, Protection & Policy, taking up his new responsibilities on 5 August. Since October 2022, he has led LFB’s Fire Stations and Central Operations function, playing a key role in enhancing frontline service delivery.
Walker will assume the position of Deputy Commissioner and Operational Director for Preparedness & Response, joining LFB on 1 October. With a career spanning over two decades, he has held senior leadership roles in North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services, as well as national resilience operations. Notably, Walker has been involved in several high-profile incident responses, including major flood events on the east coast.
Commissioner Smith expressed confidence in the new leadership team, stating, “I have no doubt that both Spencer and Mat will help the Brigade to continue building on the progress we have made in recent years. I look forward to working with them as we advance our commitment to delivering an outstanding service to London’s communities.”
The appointments come as LFB continues its organisational transformation under new leadership, with a focus on enhancing operational preparedness, improving public safety measures, and strengthening national resilience capabilities.
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