Carolyn Grace Downs CB (born 25 February 1960) is chief executive of Brent Council, London.^[1][2] She is the principal policy advisor to the council and senior manager with responsibility for operational issues and overseeing the council's annual expenditure of around £1 billion.^[3]

Downs has an MA in Library and Information Studies from UCL and began her career working in a council library.^[4] Her career has included top jobs in several local councils. From 2003 to 2009, Downs was the first female chief executive of Shropshire County Council.^[5][6] She had worked at the Council since 1999 and was previously a corporate director, which included having responsibility for Environmental Services.^[7] During her tenure, the Shropshire County Council became the highest performing county council in the UK.^[4]

She then worked as director general of corporate performance at the Ministry of Justice,^[7] a position which included being seconded to the Legal Services Commission in March 2010 to take over as chief executive after Carolyn Regan resigned.^[8] She was appointed chief executive of the Local Government Association in September 2011. She was awarded Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2011 New Year's Honours list.^[9]

In 2015, she was appointed as chief executive of Brent Council. Under Downs' leadership, Brent became LGC's Council of the Year and London Borough of Culture in 2020.^[10] The programme included funds to support local people and organisations to produce cultural activities.^[11][10][12] Downs has spoken out on the need for housing reform,^[13] social care,^[14] and poverty issues.^[15]

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