We understand local government.
Our leadership team boasts extensive careers across local government, public and private sectors. Their first-hand experience, knowledge and expertise ensure that the outputs are practical and will make a difference in the real world, not just in theory.
Our leadership team:
Ben Ward
CEO and Local Government Consultancy Partner
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Ben has more than 20 years’ experience of supporting transformation, reorganisation and improvement in local government.
During that time, he has been a trusted and respected advisor and critical friend to councils and their CEOs, Members and leadership teams – helping them to transform service delivery, deliver savings, and provide better outcomes for residents through developing and delivering meaningful and practical improvement interventions in highly political environments.
Ben has shaped, advised and led major transformation programmes across all tiers of local government - including, supporting Local Government Re-organisation (LGR) in Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Northamptonshire, Wiltshire and Cornwall, alongside new target operating models a cross Councils and service delivery models.
Claire Corbett
Deputy CEO and Delivery Director
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Claire is a senior leader with extensive experience in complex strategic change and delivery across multiple sectors.
Claire has worked in various roles, including advisory, consultancy, commissioner, and hands-on leadership delivery. Claire is skilled in collaborating with senior teams, elected politicians, unions, VCS, partners, and customers to understand change priorities and needs. Claire has the ability to positively challenge internal teams to translate their outcomes and priorities into realistic and practical delivery programs that deliver value for money.
Claire's expertise includes strategic change advisory to CEO and executive leadership teams, leading change within complex governance arrangements, large-scale organisational redesign and culture change, collaborative leadership for whole system change programs, digital user research-led design, and end-to-end delivery of complex programmes to achieve savings.
Paul Clarke
Director of Policy, Strategy & Operations
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Paul has more than 30 years local government experience at a local and regional level. He joined Newtrality in 2024 from Nottingham City Council where he was Assistant Chief Executive and Director of Policy, Performance and Communications.
His previous roles include Head of the Chief Executive’s Office at the West Midlands Combined Authority, following its inception, Director of Programmes and Performance at Birmingham City Council and the LGA, managing the national peer challenge programme.
He has extensive knowledge and expertise in Devolution, performance improvement and organisation-wide improvement. Paul is passionate about local government and has worked in the sector since graduating from INLOGOV at the University of Birmingham.
Our consultants and associates have a wealth of knowledge and experience from different sectors meaning they bring expertise in the following:
Local Government Re-organisation and Devolution
Including business case development and transition programme management.
Organisational transformation
Including council-wide improvement plans and new operating model design and implementation.
Major programme delivery
Including health checks, and programme delivery capacity and capability on major or complex programmes such as ERPs.
Strategic, service and readiness reviews
Across a range of services areas including business analysis, diagnostic assessments, and service improvement.
Corporate functions
Including strategy development, communications, programme management office, change management governance arrangements, and performance management frameworks.
Leadership and cultural development programmes
Including assessments, facilitation and programme design and delivery.
We offer support and services in the following areas:
Future Delivery Model Development and Design
Major Programme Delivery
Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution
Future Leaders