Chief Officers
Details of the Chief Officers who work as part of the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has the following Chief Officer roles in place to lead the organisation:
Chief Executive – Gillian Ormston
Gillian’s role as Chief Executive is to support and advise the PCC in developing and delivering his strategic objectives, as expressed through the Police and Crime Plan, and his statutory duties and responsibilities. She has the role of Monitoring Officer and responsibility for the direct overall management of OPCC employees.
Gillian continues to embed her vision for ‘An excellent OPCC improving policing, supporting victims and creating safer communities’ with a key focus of ensuring business as usual activities to support the PCC are delivered efficiently and effectively through a high performance office that is fit for the future in the complex world of policing governance.
Gillian engages in policing governance strategy development nationally through her role as a member of the Executive Leadership team for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioner Chief Executives (APACCE).
Gillian was awarded the 2026 Women Leaders UK leadership award, for MK, Northants and Buckinghamshire, in the public and uniformed services category in recognition of the exemplary leadership she provides both within the OPCC and the wider policing governance arena.
In her spare time Gillian is the Chair of the Strategic Engagement Committee at RAF Croughton.
Chief Finance Officer – Martin Thornley
As the statutory Chief Finance Officer, Martin is responsible for financial strategy, governance and financial stewardship. He oversees the PCC’s financial affairs and provides oversight and scrutiny of Thames Valley Police’s budgets, financial plans and use of public resources. He works to ensure value for money, accountability and long-term financial sustainability. Martin is also Deputy Chief Executive, sharing responsibility for the leadership and direction of the OPCC and acts as Chief Executive when required.
Martin previously held finance roles within higher education and the rail industry. Martin is a trustee of the River Learning Trust, an Oxfordshire based Multi-Academy Trust. He is also a trustee for Oxford Schools Chaplaincy and Marston Neighbourhood Church.
Chief Operating Officer – Helen Wake
Helen joined the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in 2021 as Head of Victims Services, before becoming Director of Service Delivery and, more recently, Chief Operating Officer.
As Chief Operating Officer, Helen supports the effective day to day running of the OPCC and works across the office to help ensure the PCC’s priorities are delivered efficiently and effectively. Her role includes oversight of delivery, performance and organisational development, as well as supporting the office to prepare for future changes in policing governance.
During her time at the OPCC, Helen has worked across victim services, community safety and crime prevention, working closely with partners across policing, local authorities, health, criminal justice and the voluntary sector.
Before joining the OPCC, Helen worked in local government, health and criminal justice in a range of commissioning and system development roles. She began her career as a Probation Officer.
To find out more about our senior employees, including role description and salary information, please visit our dedicated page.