Hamburger Menu Button
Link to Search Page
Collapse Expand Button
We are committed to providing transparent, unbiased advice and recommendations. We take pride in speaking plainly and quickly cutting through the noise, providing honest assessments, and pinpointing the real issues that may inhibit change or create barriers to digital transformation.
With several decades of deep, hands‑on experience supporting cities, towns, counties and regions from coast‑to‑coast across Canada, our all-Canadian team of consultants brings comprehensive and in-depth understanding and experience that comes only from being immersed in the municipal world.
We understand the complexities of municipal modernization, including the importance of the cultural shifts required to make transformation impactful and enduring. We know customer expectations are high, and we also know of the very real opportunities that exist for technology to transform and modernize services, to deliver significant productivity and efficiency savings and to radically improve customer experiences.
We are proud to have earned the trust of over 250 municipalities – many of them repeat clients – who rely on us as trusted advisors and digital government experts.
We are big-picture thinkers and long-term strategists, but also pragmatists who deliver advice that is actionable, practical, and tailored to your organization.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/perry-group-consulting-ltd./?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_search_srp_all%3Bm9T1MEIGTvuaxd6Mp17LuA%3D%3D
Ben Perry is one of the founding members, President and CEO, and owner of Perry Group.
Ben has an extensive technology background and significant experience within both Canada and the UK. Before moving to Canada in 2005 and since the late 1990s, Ben has been heavily involved in the digitization of Planning processes where he worked with the Environment Agency to automate and simplify Planning approvals around the floodplain using GIS and automation solutions.
In the early 2000s, in London, Ben was involved in implementing integrated Planning and Permitting systems and was responsible for the implementation of an award‑winning municipal Planning digitization solution, and the integration of local systems with the national Planning Portal – an online Planning solution for the country.
Working with clients in Canada, Ben has advocated and assisted many municipalities in re-thinking their Planning and Building services from a digital perspective.
Ben has conducted numerous Planning and Permitting systems and process reviews and road mapping exercises, including with the City and Region of Waterloo, Burlington, Windsor, Caledon, and Halton Hills. Ben worked with the Town of Richmond Hill to provide advice on its Development and Permitting systems implementation, with a particular focus on GIS integration capabilities.
Ben led consulting projects at York and Waterloo Regions and at the City of Sudbury to assess requirements, review the marketplace and develop business cases for Planning, Permitting and Licensing systems.
Perry Group, and Ben specifically, worked with York Region over the last decade on various IT, data and related initiatives – including the original work to establish the path forward with YorkTrax – which included consultation with area municipalities around the concept of a shared system.
Perry Group’s Digital Planning practice is augmented by the senior Planning expertise of Lesley Pavan. Before retiring from municipal service in mid-2020, Lesley was in Planning and Development roles in the GTA for over 30 years. She spent time in a range of municipalities before joining the City of Mississauga.
Prior to joining Perry Group, Lesley was Mississauga’s Director, Development and Design where she was responsible for the City’s Development Applications process and Zoning By-Law. The City also retained Lesley after retirement to lead the review of the Development Applications process to ensure that Planning Act timelines could be met to ensure the City did not incur financial penalties as set out in Bill 109.
Lesley was heavily involved in the digitization of the service and the introduction of digital submissions and digital plans handling – one of the first municipalities to implement a fully end-to-end digital service. As a result, Lesley has practical insights into ePermitting and digital Planning that can only be gained by experience. Since joining the Perry Group Lesley has worked with York Region, City of Burlington, Windsor, Halton Hills, Waterloo in modernizing their development approval processes.
Lesley’s long history in Planning and Development reveals many successes in municipal Planning, stakeholder engagement, team mobilization and management of complex projects that result in strategic and transformative initiatives that achieve balanced outcomes while maintaining the vision.