My First Few Weeks At Newtrality by Callum Hancock-Leech

Callum Hancock-Leech

What attracted you to join Newtrality?

I was really excited to join Newtrality, as after taking some time away from public sector consultancy, I knew I wanted to return. Working with local government and wider public sector organisations is something that really motivates me — being able to make a difference is important to me.

What really stood out to me about Newtrality was its strong reputation and clear set of values. As a consultancy with a genuine commitment to supporting the public sector, it felt different. The approach here is about working alongside local authorities in a collaborative way to help deliver meaningful and lasting change, and that really resonated with me.

During the recruitment process, everyone I met seemed to share that same vision, and I got a real sense that this was a great team to be joining. Being part of growing that team was also really exciting for me.

What have you been working on so far?

I work within the sales team at Newtrality, so a lot of the work I have been leading has been internal-facing. This includes developing our bids and proposals, which has been great for me as it has allowed me to learn quickly about what we do and work with people across the business.

I have also enjoyed helping to develop collateral for both internal colleagues, such as new templates and processes, as well as supporting our outward-facing brand identity and marketing vision.

I’ve also met some really interesting external stakeholders while developing our propositions of support, and I’m looking forward to meeting more as and when needed.

What’s surprised you about your first few weeks?

The pace since I joined has been fast, but I’ve felt really supported throughout that journey.

What has probably surprised me most is the wealth of knowledge and experience we have across Newtrality. I knew I was joining a great team, but until I actually joined and started working with people, I didn’t fully appreciate it. We have amazing people spanning all areas of local government who are genuine specialists in their field, and that is really exciting. Now it’s down to me to help make sure they can get to where they are most needed.

How would you describe the team and culture?

I think the culture here is great. As a relatively small company, it is key that the team is supportive, and in my experience, that is exactly what I have found. Everybody is really open to questions, feedback, and helping one another.

As mentioned in my previous answers, one of the key things I’ve experienced is strong communication across the wider organisation. We have regular virtual all-team meetings, as well as six-weekly away days where we can all get in the same room and have productive conversations. That has been really valuable for me, and I already feel like a valued member of the team.

Also, a huge shout out to our operations team for making onboarding really smooth and for their support during the first few weeks — without them, I wouldn’t have been able to hit the ground running.

What are you looking forward to next?

Looking ahead, one of the key things for me is helping Newtrality continue to grow so we can support as many organisations as possible.

My focus will be on working across our key delivery areas to strengthen our propositions and help us expand that support. I also want to make sure our internal teams have everything they need to do their jobs well.

I have also procured and am now around week six into building our new CRM system, which should give the business a better view of the work going on and, hopefully, make people’s jobs easier by reducing manual entry.

Ultimately, the impact I want to make is enabling others to do their best work. If I can support our brilliant teams and individuals to focus on the work that really matters, then I’ll feel like I’ve made a positive difference.

Quick-fire round

Three words to describe your first few weeks: Interesting, exciting, rewarding

One thing you’ve learned already: A lot about LGR — this was one area I hadn’t experienced in consultancy before, but had heard a lot about as a resident.

Best part of your role so far: Working with Ben at Newtrality HQ. We have very complementary working styles, so when we get focused around a whiteboard for a few hours, it can be really exciting.

Tea or coffee: Iced brown sugar oat milk espresso from Starbucks.