Gwynedd Council has appointed Dewi Morgan as the new head of finance.

He succeeds Dafydd Edwards, who is retiring after nearly 40 years.

After graduating, Dewi was appointed as a trainee accountant with Gwynedd County Council, moving to the new Gwynedd Council following the local government reorganisation in 1996.

“He qualified as an Accountant with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in 1998, and is currently vice president of the CIPFA Wales branch.

“It is a great honour to be selected for this important role,” he said.

“Since I joined Gwynedd County Council’s Treasury Department in 1994 as a trainee, it has been a pleasure to be part of such a dedicated and professional team, and being appointed Head of Finance at Gwynedd Council is realising a dream that I’ve had for over a quarter of a century.

“I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported and helped me since I started my career in local government.

“I am really looking forward to building on the good work that is already happening and to leading the talented team of officers in the department.”

Councillor Ioan Thomas,cabinet member for finance, said he was pleased by the appointment.

He said: “Gwynedd has a very strong reputation for careful financial management despite increasing demands for services and constant budget cuts, and Dewi has played an important role in the team that has made this a success.

“I am pleased with Dewi’s appointment - he has extensive finance experience in local government and is always a pleasure to work with. I’m looking forward to more collaboration in the future.

“We thank Dafydd Edwards very much for his tireless work over the years and wish him every happiness in his retirement.”

Dewi takes up his post on 1 January.