Natalie Brahma-Pearl

Natalie Brahma-Pearl, newly appointed Chief Executive of Portsmouth City Council shares her vast experience in local government spanning over 26 years. Natalie's career journey on Episode 6 gives us a comprehensive account of her impressive portfolio in environmental health to managing large front-line services focussed on transformation and change, paving her way into local government. From her Chief Executive position at Crawley Borough Council in West Sussex to navigating political challenges at Horsham District Council focussing on transformation, we gain insights from her perspective on managing the political landscape and leading large organizations.  Her academic background in environmental policy and strategy led to her first job as an Environment Officer at Lancaster Council tackling pollution in the environmental Department, then moving to Harrow branching into policy and environmental health. From Harrow she moved to Adur District Council working in sustainability taking on responsibilities of safety culture gaining exposure within community and regeneration. As a Chief Executive at Crawley, she shares her dedication to improving communities, setting up STEM programmes for schools, facing unemployment issues and the effects of furlough during the pandemic.  In her current role as Chief Executive of Portsmouth Council, she has transitioned from a borough setting to leading a unitary at Portsmouth City Council and through sheer determination and resilience during personal challenges we learn how her early childhood shaped her. Solace website: solace.org.uk Dedicated podcast site: ⁠https://solace.org.uk/blog/local-government-stories-podcast/⁠ Socials: @Solace_UK #LocalGovernmentStories