Newton welcomes Leon Smith to retail and consumer practice

UK based consulting firm Newton has announced the appointment of an experienced partner in its consumer markets practice. Leon Smith arrives from a Big Four firm, bringing two decades of experience to the role.

Founded in 2001, Newton is a UK origin specialist in operational improvement. The company looks to help clients solve some of the most complex challenges in the public and private sector across sectors including infrastructure, defence, retail, food and drink manufacturing, healthcare, and social care.

With the cost-of-living crisis and stagnant wages eating away at the spendable income of most consumers, many retailers are facing an alarming slump in demand. Newton is looking to position itself strongly to respond to the needs of clients in the retail sector – and is so determined to do so that it is willing to put its fees on the line for them.

Commenting on what attracted him to Newton, Leon Smith noted, “The firm has an incredible track record of delivering results in the sector, and is fundamentally different from the competition; believing so strongly in what they can achieve together with their clients that they risk 100% of their fees – guaranteeing results.  I am passionate about helping retailers and consumer goods companies deliver transformational change within their businesses, particularly given the unprecedented change faced by those sectors in the past few years, as well as the significant challenges to come.”

Smith joins Newton from PwC where he was a Partner in the company’s retail and consumer sector, where he was Operations Consulting Leader for the UK. He brings over 20 years’ experience in delivering transformational change across the retail and consumer goods sectors, with particular focus on strategy, operational improvement, digital transformation, and cost reduction. During that time, Smith has worked with many retail and consumer goods clients globally, including across the United States, Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Europe.

Steve Wilson, Senior Partner in Newton’s consumer market team, added, “Having Leon in the team is a great asset for Newton and our clients. Leon’s significant experience working across global organisations is highly relevant and will help support our clients to navigate some of the major challenges and opportunities that they face. This is a really testing time for many businesses and changing to meet those new needs is strategically imperative. I look forward to working with Leon and continuing to strengthen the Consumer Team.”