In a LinkedIn post, Hunt – who has worked at the Environment Agency for 14 years – revealed she has moved on to take up the same role at Thomson Environmental Consulting, an established consultancy that has been operating since 2004.
She said: “Who wouldn’t want to work with a company whose purpose is to deliver excellent project outcomes with positive environmental impact and whose values are respect, integrity, support and excellence?”
Hunt joined the EA in 2006, taking on various roles including director of operations national services, area director for Devon and Cornwall, and head of planning and performance.
Sarah Chare, a long time EA employee who even worked at the watchdog’s predecessor the National Rivers Authority, has taken the baton from Hunt.
Her responsibilities as chief operating officer, as per the government website, include overseeing operational activity that is delivered nationally, internal services that support the whole of the Environment Agency, and leading on the relationships with DEFRA Group corporate services.
Chare started out her civil service career in fisheries before taking on roles including executive director of local operations, and director of operations for South East & East England.
It is also listed that Chare is a member of the OpDel Excel programme for “the most senior operational delivery leaders across the civil service” and is a sponsor of the EA’s Mental Health Network.