Rose Rouse is the Chief Executive of Pendle Borough Council in Lancashire. Prior to this, Rose was Chief Executive of Eden District Council in Cumbria. Starting her local government career in policy and performance, she moved into leading large front-line services and community-led regeneration projects, and has worked for a range of district councils in areas including Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands and the North-West.

Working for a regional association of local government, Rose led major programmes on supporting improvement, social care policy and environmental strategy. In the police service, she worked as a researcher, managing large projects on prevention issues. Rose has run both her own consultancy and coaching business and the family property development business. Early on in her career Rose lived and worked in Turkey teaching English.

Rose is Vice-Chair of the DCN Chief Executives Group and is facilitating delivery of DCN work on Regeneration and Growth. She is also leading on developing the member engagement offer to councils.