Capita has appointed Simon Freeman to the position of managing director of its restructured and market-leading Local Public Services business.
Simon joins from Capita’s Personal Independence Payments business and will be responsible for refocusing on Capita’s core strength in this market of delivering transactional services to local government partners. The business has undergone a significant restructure, and has relaunched this month with a new operating model.
Patrick Elliott, Interim Executive Officer, Capita Government Services: "We recognise that local public services will look very different in 2020, as the market continues to evolve and our local authority partners move towards more scalable solutions. Capita will continue to invest in our digital transformation and technology expertise. Simon will be instrumental in delivering an outstanding service which delivers value for money and high satisfaction for our new and existing clients, provides scalable and flexible tech-led solutions, and helps councils effectively deliver vital public services."
As part of the restructure, Capita will be making significant investments in the development of technology-enabled and scalable solutions. These standardised solutions will focus on Capita’s key areas of strength and expertise, such as payments and collections, regulatory services, customer management and other back-office services. In line with market feedback, these solutions will be offered in more flexible ways, to best meet the needs of clients.
These services and contracts will focus on operational delivery for customers, product development and growth.
A separate dedicated unit within the business, led by Jonathan Prew, will be created to manage Capita’s local government partnerships or services which are transitioning back to our clients. Jonathan will oversee the transition of these contracts, ensuring a clear focus and maintaining high-quality operational performance. After five years, Jonathan has decided to pursue opportunities outside Capita and will leave the business in 12 months’ time.
This is the latest step in Capita’s transformation plan, put in place in 2018 to ensure the company is a good corporate citizen, a responsible and reliable partner for clients, and an innovative industry leader in software and technology. The restructure aligns with our ambition to simplify and strengthen our business and succeed in our key markets.
Simon Freeman, Incoming managing director of Capita Local Public Services, said: "This is a crucial time for Capita in the local government market, and as such it’s a very exciting time to be joining the business. It’s clear that while there have been challenges and changing needs within the market as our clients move away from long-term, transformational contracts, Capita has an outstanding track record of delivery as a partner for local government. We have a strong base on which to build as we continue to create value for our clients and better services for the public."
