Grant Thornton UK has appointed two directors to its public sector Assurance team as it looks to expand its work with public sector organisations.
The accounting and consulting practice has hired Ed Hammond and Camilla de Bernhardt Lane from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny.
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In a statement, Grant Thornton said the hires bring “unrivalled public sector stewardship and advisory experience”.
Hammond and de Bernhardt Lane specialise in local authority scrutiny, policy, leadership and governance. Their work has included supporting organisations to align governance arrangements with value for money. They have also helped identify risks and opportunities linked to governance structures in local government.
Hammond spent more than 17 years at the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny and was appointed deputy CEO in 2021. De Bernhardt Lane held the role of director of Practice and previously worked as a governance consultant at the organisation.
Grant Thornton UK Public Sector Assurance partner Joanne Brown said: “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.”
The appointments come as the company continues a wider senior hiring and promotion programme. Grant Thornton appointed 26 new equity partners in the first quarter of 2026 as part of a plan to add 160 new partners over the next two years.
In May, Grant Thornton UK also added four equity partners across forensic services, indirect tax, public sector consulting and asset recovery practices.
