Press release

Opencast appoints Jen Blundell as Chief Capabilities and People Officer

Feb 24, 2026

An independent digital technology consultancy has strengthened its executive team with a key appointment.

Jen Blundell, who brings years of leadership experience in digital roles and public service organisations, has joined Newcastle-headquartered Opencast as the company’s new Chief Capabilities and People Officer.

Jen was previously Managing Director of TPXimpact’s Digital Transformation business, having been Managing Director of the Consulting business and Group Client Services Director at the same company.

Prior to TPXimpact Jen was Deputy CEO at FutureGov, a digital consultancy specialising in public service transformation. FutureGov was acquired by TPXimpact (then Panoply Holdings) in 2019. Jen previously founded a design consultancy working in the social impact space and held senior business development leadership roles in public sector delivery businesses.

“I’ve always been passionate about how we design services and use tech to deliver better and more equitable access, especially working with government departments and agencies to use the tools of a digital, and now AI, age to unlock better services and outcomes” explained Jen.

“I knew of Opencast for its strong delivery track record and its reputation for having impact across the full product lifecycle, particularly on large-scale, high-profile public-sector projects. Our client satisfaction scores are testament to that.

“We’re an ambitious, growing company, anchored regionally but delivering results for our clients and with partners nationally. We’re driven by a people-first culture built on trust, respect and a relentless focus to do right by our clients.

“Like many businesses in the sector, Opencast has faced disruption from market challenges over recent years, but the company has weathered this effectively and is now well positioned for further strong growth.”

A person stands indoors in a warmly lit room, wearing a dark jacket and facing the camera. Behind them is a modern seating area with a green upholstered chair, a floor lamp, patterned wall art, and a red-framed glass partition, creating a cozy, contemporary interior.

Opencast Chief Capabilities and People Officer, Jen Blundell

Opencast’s growth surged at the end of last year following contract wins in the public and private sectors. The company announced it had recruited its 500th permanent employee just before Christmas.

New work has recently been secured with the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as well as growth at the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs, Ministry of Justice, the Department for Education, NHS England and NHS Business Service Authority.

Jen explained her new role: “I’m a strong advocate of the ‘servant leadership’ approach and will work to create a place where everyone can prosper, and where the needs of our clients and the business are thoughtfully balanced with our team’s well-being. It will also be my role to ensure the company continues to develop our industry-leading capabilities and evolves and iterates to ensure we maintain our reputation.

“I'll oversee our people and capability functions, which includes teams spanning talent engagement, learning and development and people operations - as well as capability leadership for our consultants in design, delivery, engineering and architecture, alongside service development and marketing.”

Opencast Chief Executive Tom Lawson said: “I’m delighted to welcome Jen to Opencast. We always aim to attract the very best talent who share our values and that’s what we have in Jen. Her role will be to make the company an even better place to work, maintaining our people-first culture while we continue to expand and build industry-leading capabilities, ensuring relevance of Opencast for years to come."

Alongside Chief Executive Tom Lawson, Jen joins Andy Foskett, Chief Client and Commercial Officer, and James Hodgson, Chief Financial Officer, in Opencast’s Executive Team.

Founded in 2012, Opencast specialises in designing, building and running user-centred digital and technology solutions. Its work for UK Government and healthcare includes developing services that provide support for millions of citizens, employees, businesses, patients and clinicians.

The company has won many awards for its rapid growth, including recognition in the Sunday Times as one of the UK’s fastest growing companies and it was featured in the Financial Times 1000: Europe’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2025 ranking. Opencast gained B-Corp status in 2024.