GCS Connect: Leaders Series - S3, Ep. 13 - Sarah Longdon (Dorset Council)

Sarah Longdon - Head of Service Planning - Dorset Council Sarah is a Change and Transformation leader in local government and previously in financial services. She works with leaders to define and deliver strategic objectives and manage change programmes, bridging strategy, technology and operations. Sarah communicates using a personable style with calm and reflective listening skills to create successful relationships. She also builds successful teams by being open and collaborative, inspiring and motivating through quiet authority. In her 12+ years in local government in Dorset, she has: delivered organisational change, strategic planning and a response structure for covid-19 in Public Health Dorset; overseen the implementation programme to create the new Dorset Council; developed the strategic programme to transform local government in Dorset for the Chief Executives and Leaders; developed the business case for change, planned the political, legal, organisational and communication elements of a significant and unique transformation of local government structure in Dorset; set up a regulated subsidiary finance company, including selection and implementation of software and creation of a set of compliant business processes, set up governance and reporting arrangements for company board and shareholder; led a significant transformation programme of working arrangements driven by austerity to improve technology, service provision, efficiencies. Working in financial services, she managed multiple programmes of change activities including replacement IT platforms, organisational restructures, switching banking provider and platforms. She lives on the coast in Dorset, and enjoy this beautiful location by trail running, cycling and sea swimming, and put that all together with the occasional triathlon. She also volunteers as chair of the Academy Advisory Committee at their local secondary school.