Grant Thornton adds specialist talent to public sector team as local government reform expands demand
Grant Thornton UK has appointed two directors to deepen the offering provided by the firm’s public sector Assurance team. Ed Hammond and Camilla de Bernhardt Lane both join the firm from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny, bringing with them unrivalled public sector stewardship and advisory experience.
Both Ed and Camilla are specialists in local authority scrutiny, policy, leadership and governance. They are highly experienced in working with organisations to ensure governance supports achievement of value for money and in identifying risk and opportunity within local government in respect of governance structures. They also have deep experience of working with local government organisations to identify and enhance culture and leadership opportunities to optimise effective decision making.
Ed spent more than 17 years at the Centre of Governance and Scrutiny and was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 2021. Camilla held the position of Director of Practice and was previously a governance consultant at the Centre.
The appointments come at a key time, as local governments across the country grapple with rising statutory services costs and increasing inflationary and operational costs. For local authorities in England, the once-in-a-generation Local Government Reorganisation programme is presenting councils with unique challenges as they seek to deliver on their ongoing services obligations whilst planning for unprecedented change in their structures.
Joanne Brown, Public Sector Assurance Partner, Grant Thornton UK, commented:
“I am pleased to welcome Ed and Camilla into our team. They bring with them exceptional, unrivalled experience and deep public sector knowledge and they will play a key part in supporting our growth in wider assurance services to the public sector and building on our extensive audit and consulting experience.
“There are currently unprecedented challenges and opportunities facing the public sector, particularly within local government. Ed and Camilla’s understanding of local government policy, strategy and scrutiny is second to none and they will play key roles supporting our clients on all aspects of their reform and devolution agendas.”
Grant Thornton continues to invest in senior talent and appointed 26 new equity partners in the first quarter of 2026, marking a major milestone in the firm’s plan to welcome 160 new partners over the next two years. This rapid expansion signals the firm’s growing market strength and its commitment to investing in the leadership needed to deliver its long term growth strategy.