As we continue to deliver Thriving Futures, Honeycomb Group's corporate plan, we're excited to announce that we are strengthening our Executive Team to ensure we remain focused on what matters most: delivering excellent services and positive outcomes for our customers.
Last year saw us strengthening our services and adding additional capacity where it was needed within the business. As we continue through the Build phase of Thriving Futures, our new Executive structure will help us build on this important progress while creating even stronger ownership and accountability for the customer experience across the Group.
The changes are designed to provide clearer accountability, stronger leadership and a sharper focus on our customers, colleagues and communities as we deliver the next phase of our ambitions.
As part of this development, Kerry Birtles has been appointed as Executive Director of Customers, Communities & Safeguarding. Previously Executive Director of Support & Wellbeing, Kerry's expanded role reflects Honeycomb's commitment to placing customers at the heart of decision-making.
By bringing together responsibility for customers, communities and safeguarding under one Executive lead, we're creating a stronger and more joined-up approach that puts customer voice, experience and outcomes at the centre of our strategic priorities. The role will help ensure that customer insight helps shape decisions across the organisation, while strengthening our focus on delivering safe, high-quality services that enable people and communities to thrive.
Kerry said: "I'm delighted to take on this new role and the opportunity it presents. This change recognises the importance of putting customers at the heart of everything we do, while strengthening our focus on communities and safeguarding. For the first time, customer services, communities and safeguarding will sit under one Executive lead. This will help us take a more joined-up approach across the Group, bring greater consistency to how customers experience our services and ensure customer insight plays an even bigger role in shaping our decisions. We have fantastic teams across Honeycomb who make a real difference every day, and I'm excited about working together to continue improving services, listening to our customers and delivering positive outcomes."
Alongside Kerry's appointment, Greg van Enk-Bones’ role has been expanded to Executive Director of Finance & Governance. Recruitment will also take place for two new Executive Director positions: Corporate Services and Growth, Assets & Compliance.
The full Executive Team structure will be introduced in stages, with recruitment taking place over the coming months and the new arrangements expected to be fully in place in early 2027.
As we look ahead, these changes will help ensure Honeycomb has the leadership capacity, accountability and customer focus needed to deliver the next phase of Thriving Futures, supporting our ambition to provide outstanding services and create positive outcomes for people and communities across the Group.
Chief Executive Julie Guilford-Smith said: "We are entering an exciting stage of our Thriving Futures journey. As our organisation continues to grow and evolve, it's important that our leadership structure evolves to support that, too. At the heart of these changes is a clear commitment to our customers. We want to make sure customer needs, experiences and outcomes continue to shape the decisions we make at a strategic level, whilst also providing the leadership and accountability needed to deliver excellent services across the Group.”
These changes are about ensuring Honeycomb has the right leadership structure to support the next stage of Thriving Futures, creating stronger accountability, greater collaboration and an even sharper focus on delivering excellent services for customers
Applications are now open for our Executive Director of Corporate Services and Executive Director of Growth, Assets & Compliance.
Click here to apply for Executive Director of Corporate Services
Click here to apply for Executive Director of Growth, Assets & Compliance
