Meet the Team

  • Georgina Clarke

    DIRECTOR

  • Lesley Russell

    DIRECTOR

  • Dave Newcombe

    DIRECTOR

  • Josie Wragg

    Strategic Advisor

Meet George.

Georgina is the Founder and Director of Ascent. She completed an MSc in Positive Psychology in 2015 and has 20 years experience managing both community and health and wellbeing projects.

Georgina has the strength of strategic mindedness and is energised by developing impactful effective wellbeing strategies, and also uses her relationship building strength to coproduce (in a meaningful way) these strategies with people who benefit from them.

Georgina is currently working for an NHS trust to develop a community wellbeing and coproduction strategy for people using maternity services as well as a psychological safety strategy for their staff. She has over ten years experience working in corporates around psychological safety and strengths.

Georgina is a Master Strengthscope practitioner using their tools of team and leader development to help organisations improve wellbeing and performance. Strengthscope significant strengths include creativity, relationship building, strategic awareness, initiative and collaboration.

Meet Les.

Lesley has over 30 years experience as a qualified CIPD and APMG change professional. Lesley worked as a HR leader in the energy industry and is experienced in multi million pound major change projects, European joint ventures, all aspects of HR and employment law. Lesley has vast experience in organisational design, trade union negotiations, talent and recruitment strategies, and company design.

Lesley was renowned at National Grid for design and delivery of fun interactive HR training days for staff including mock tribunals helping employees and leaders understand and apply company processes and legislation in their roles.

Managers felt that they should have had this training years ago and that is significantly improved their ability to deal with challenging situations and adhere to best practice in people management.

Meet Dave.

Dave has 25 years experience as a business parter with extensive employee engagement and strategic change management experience acquired in multiple companies and sectors. He is qualified and experienced in delivery of leadership and team building programmes as well as overseeing major restructuring, cultural transformation programmes and internal communications campaigns.

“It is clear that Dave cares deeply about the importance of carrying people with the organisation's priorities (especially through change) and gaining their active support. Dave is both analytical and creative, has the ability to see the bigger picture together with the talent to drill down into the detail. Dave is dedicated to delivering results that make a positive difference to people's lives and working experience." Amanda Nock, National Grid

Meet Josie.

Josie is our lead Strategic Advisor. She’s an experienced senior leader in public sector -local government. Chief Executive of a Unitary Authority, Director of Environment and Director of Customer and Community in a Unitary Authority. Operational and strategic oversight and management in all council services.

Josie places a strong emphasis on and a flair for strategic insight, collaboration, building partnerships and coproduction. Currently freelancing and very interested in policy overhaul and corporate psychological safety.