What I did next: from public sector consulting at Deloitte to leading Social Value at Mitie
Helen Longfils, Group Director of Social Value, People Experience and Culture at Mitie on helping businesses create sustainable value for customers, colleagues, communities and society.
Tell me about your career path and your motivations for pursuing a career in social value?
I’ve been fortunate to have a career that’s always been about creating positive change, and helping organisations solve difficult problems in ways that make life better for people.
I joined Deloitte on the graduate programme, and my first role was in strategy consulting working with public and third sector organisations. I moved internally 8 years later to help account teams think differently about how client commercial success and positive impact could reinforce one another through Deloitte’s Client Relationship Programmes.
When the UK Social Value Model was introduced, it felt like everything I’d done previously came together. I had the opportunity to build Deloitte’s social value proposition, bringing together my experience of client services, client relationships, bidding, government, charities and social enterprises.
Today I have the privilege of leading Social Value, People Experience and Culture for Mitie working on everything I’ve always believed in: that businesses create the greatest impact when commercial success and positive social outcomes reinforce one another. Rather than treating social value as something separate, we’re embedding it into how we win work, deliver services, create opportunities for colleagues and communities, and define success.
What is the most rewarding aspect of seeing community initiatives come together, and how do you translate these efforts into measurable, long-term social change?
The most rewarding moments are almost never the ones that appear on a dashboard.
They’re the conversations where someone tells you they’ve got their first job after years out of work. The colleague who suddenly realises they’re seen and valued. The community partner who shares the difference a collaboration has made. Or the client who brings their resources and expertise to the table to work together to create positive change. Those moments remind me that social value is ultimately about people.
Of course, measurement matters. We need to know we’re creating genuine impact rather than simply feeling good about activity, and robust data helps us learn, improve and make better decisions. But I never want us to lose sight of the human stories behind the numbers.
Sustainable change comes from listening, learning, adapting and recognising that no single person or organisation has all the answers. The biggest impact happens when people are prepared to think differently, work together and create change that lasts—for communities, organisations and the people doing the work.
How can industry ensure that the social value in their organisations can help tackle some of the most pressing challenges in their local communities?
I’d encourage organisations to stop asking, “What social value activities or programmes should we run?” and start asking, “What is our business uniquely positioned to solve?”
The biggest contribution most businesses make isn’t through philanthropy or traditional CSR. It’s through the jobs they create, the suppliers they buy from, the services they deliver and the influence they have every single day.
The key is to build social value into the way the organisation operates rather than bolting it on afterwards. That means creating opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded, buying from local businesses or charities, designing inclusive services and using your expertise to solve problems alongside communities rather than for them.
Partnerships are fundamental too. The best collaborations happen when everyone understands what’s in it for them, shares a common ambition and builds trust. When social value becomes part of how an organisation creates value, rather than something it does on the side, that’s when it has the potential to tackle challenges at scale.
Mitie has delivered £316m in social value and is committed to uplifting one million lives. What factors have driven its success in embedding social value and building strong partnerships?
One lesson I’ve learned is that Big Visions can be surprisingly practical. At Mitie we’ve created a clear long-term ambition through Plan Thrive: helping one million lives thrive and 1,000 places prosper. Partnerships have been central to our success. The strongest relationships aren’t transactional; they’re built on shared goals, mutual value and trust. I’ve found that when people understand why you’re trying to create change, they’re remarkably good at working out how to make it happen. When colleagues, clients, suppliers and community partners all understand the destination, they find their own route towards it.
How have you stayed connected to Deloitte and with former colleagues?
One of the things I value most about Deloitte is the people. Many former colleagues have become close friends, mentors and coaches, and I’m still genuinely curious about where people’s careers take them. I love seeing the unexpected paths people follow and how they’ve built on their Deloitte experiences in completely different ways.
I think Deloitte people are endlessly curious, and that curiosity stays with you long after you’ve left. Every conversation gives me a fresh perspective, a new idea or another reminder that there’s always something new to learn.
I’ve been continually impressed by what Deloitte alumni go on to achieve, and I’m grateful that so many professional relationships have become lasting friendships.
Is there a particular nugget or learning from Deloitte that you’d like to share which has impacted on your career?
Stay curious!
Deloitte taught me never to become comfortable with the status quo and, perhaps more importantly, it taught me resilience. Consulting gives you the confidence to tackle problems you’ve never seen before, adapt quickly when things don’t go to plan and keep going when the answer isn’t immediately obvious. And internal roles give you the inside track on how businesses really operate, the priorities, trade offs, investments and risks you have to navigate to deliver value sustainably for the business and its stakeholders.
I’ve also learned that you don’t have to have all the answers yourself. The best solutions usually come from connecting ideas, bringing together different perspectives and drawing on the experience of people around you.
I’d encourage anyone starting out not to worry too much about having a perfectly planned career. Mine has been wonderfully squiggly, and every role—whether it looked relevant at the time or not—gave me experiences that I draw on every day.
Read more Deloitte alumni profiles:
Aaron Westgate on teaching ICAEW qualifications and preparing trainee accountants for the world of work.
Ameila Ashton-Jones on growing a global sailing event in the most sustainable way possible
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