About

Founded by Laura Boutle (Stamboulieh), Navigate provides a platform to share the lessons learned during her 30-year advisory career.

Founder

Laura Boutle

Laura is a RICS qualified chartered surveyor who chose to specialise in the public sector from her first employment with Donaldsons and continued this passion at Cushman & Wakefield, Avison Young and, most recently, Montagu Evans.

With a distinguished 30-year advisory career, Laura Boutle (Stamboulieh) has worked across all UK public sectors, supporting over 60 local authorities, central government departments, NHS organisations, police forces, and further education colleges. She has also guided public sector partnerships, helping them identify shared goals and foster collaboration through the One Public Estate Programme and other government initiatives.

“The point of my work is to establish a clear linkage between the client’s strategic priorities and their estate.”

Laura has a deep understanding of the unique dynamics across the various sectors and recognises the importance of truly grasping a client’s organisational and strategic objectives, as well as the context of the communities they serve. This insight enables her to effectively evaluate and develop public estate scenarios and solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Able to 'speak the language' of the different public sector organisations, Laura connects seamlessly at all levels—from Board Members and Executives to Service Leads and Community Delivery Teams—to uncover the core challenges they face. She fosters authentic, empathetic working relationships and champions the co-creation of strategies with her clients, ensuring both relevance and a strong sense of ownership

“I help my clients make logical and informed decisions by developing robust business cases.”

Laura delivers impartial, practical, and high-quality advice, grounded in active listening and respectful challenge. She guides clients through the entire process—from identifying the core problem and engaging stakeholders to setting clear objectives, evaluating value-for-money options, and developing a robust business case. Her approach ensures informed decision-making and effective delivery.

Giving Back

Laura is committed to giving back to her profession and her community.

She has actively volunteered at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College since 2015. Initially, as a Corporation Member, she helped shape strategy, ensure financial accountability, and support estate planning. In 2020, she became External Chair and Co-Opted Member of the Search Committee, leading a team to prioritise diversity in new Governor appointments. That same year, Laura joined the South Gloucestershire and Stroud Academy Trust, overseeing governance for its three unique schools to ensure strategic success and alignment with objectives.

Laura has mentored female professionals in her previous employments and is part of the Government Property Function’s Female-Only Mentoring initiative.