The newly formed combined authority for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – that will have the newly elected mayor as its head – has failed to find a £150,000 chief executive to run it.

The authority has been meeting for some months prior to the mayor’s election on May 4 and working with an interim part-time boss, Paul Medd, chief executive of Fenland District Council.

However the authority says Mr Medd has returned to Fenland; it says the recruitment process to find a chief executive with commercial experience had failed so an interim, but full time, boss will now be appointed.

The job has gone to Martin Whiteley, chief executive and founder of Blue Marble, a specialist company that works on transformation issues in both the public and private sector.

Mr Whiteley has recently been working with the combined authority as its delivery director – he’s a former managing director of Capita Consulting, the management consultancy arm of the Capita Group.

He will now be in post at the combined authority until September 30 after his appointment was agreed.

Minutes from the combined authority noted a long list of candidates for the chief executive role did not contain “a broad spread choice with a limited number of applicants from the private sector with commercial experience.”

However the authority emphasised that it was “important to note that this extended recruitment approach did not suggest the current field of candidates should be disregarded”.

The authority thanked Mr Medd for his support and the contribution he had made “despite balancing this role with his substantive role as chief executive of Fenland Council”.

On his company’s website Mr Whiteley says he has “a highly successful track record as a leader in the public and private sectors, and in delivery of major programmes.

“My background in commercial organisations, central and local government provides a unique blend of experience.

“I have demonstrated that I can create leadership commitment and build a coalition of support to achieve bold outcomes, and the strategic programmes that deliver new infrastructure and major change. I bring an injection of purpose and momentum, challenge and a focus on the key issues that really count.

“I have detailed knowledge on a range of issues including major programme delivery, business strategy, service design and commercial best practice.”