Our leadership team
With both talent and ethic, our leadership team are delivering meaningful transformation by combining data-informed evidence, human-centred design and engineering in a manner that is consistent with our organisation’s values.
10 years and 700 Hippos later
By empowering our people to carry the torch of our culture, we’ve built a community that thrives on flexibility, hard work, and a relentless focus on delivering the best solutions for our users. Discover how our commitment to people and long-term partnerships creates an environment where everyone has the opportunity to contribute to excellent user experiences.
The leadership team
Adam Lewis
Co-founder and CEO
After several years working in the private and public sectors, Adam co-founded Hippo with a vision for a more pragmatic yet human-centred digital-transformation consultancy. While working in the NHS and across Government, Adam found his vocation working collaboratively across organisational boundaries, to deliver joined-up services that work for real people.
Liz Whitefield
Co-founder and Director
With a career spanning 30 years across public sector delivery and digital transformation Liz was one of the founding members of Hippo who has supported growth in clients from day one. Liz is passionate about helping to build long term delivery partnerships with clients, sharing in the outcomes they want to achieve and supporting all Hippos in achieving their potential.
Mike Tattersall
Chief Delivery Officer
With over 15 years experience in digital delivery, Mike has delivered scalable services through Discovery, Alpha and Beta that meet Government Service Standard in NHS, DWP, Government Digital Service and Department for Education. Mike is passionate about delivering services at pace, ensuring they meet user needs and achieve business objectives. He brings the team and stakeholders on a journey, with the ability to make the complex simple.
Lara Longhurst
Chief Operations Officer
After nearly 20 years of consultancy experience delivering large scale, technological transformation programmes in both the public and private sector, Lara is now focused on delivering the business strategy and operational excellence at Hippo. Lara remains passionate about people, working to ensure that we retain our core values and culture whilst we grow at scale.
Andy Kemp
Chief Commercial Officer
Andy has over 25 years of experience in digital and data transformation across the public and private sectors, and is a leader in championing innovation and the ethical and secure use of AI. Andy is passionate about, and has a successful track record in, leading teams that work collaboratively with customers and partners to deliver real business outcomes that improve the lives of end users.
Darren Hutton
Chief Digital Officer
Darren is passionate about the role technology can play in meeting user needs and organisational goals. An accomplished technologist with over two decades of experience creating solutions to tackle complex challenges. Darren excels in leading diverse teams delivering at scale. He brings a wealth of expertise in user-centred design, Agile methodologies, and Service Design to ensure the efficient development of well-defined digital solutions.
Mike Watts
Chief Financial Officer
Mike has over 20 years’ experience of working in finance across a variety of roles and industries, with a track record of driving profitable growth and strong cash management. Using this experience, Mike is passionate about delivering the long-term financial success of Hippo, through both organic and inorganic growth.
