Ruth is a Chartered Member of the CIPD with over 25 years’ experience in senior HR roles with household names such as Seiko, Next, Homebase and Fujitsu.

She has led the people function in organisational and cultural change programmes (including mergers, acquisitions and integration work) and has expertise across a broad range of people matters.  From strategy, policy and organisational development through to talent and performance management, Ruth’s commercial focus and pragmatic approach is coupled with a natural curiosity and empathy towards people.  Ruth enjoys applying her experience across many sectors, including retail, financial services, technology and travel as well as within corporate and SME settings alike.

Key areas of expertise

Advice and support on:

• People strategy
• Organisational design and development
• Change management (including TUPE mergers, acquisitions and integration work)
• Talent management
• Appraisals and performance management
• Employee relations
• HR audit
• Policy drafting
• HR toolkits
• Consultation and implementation
• Absence management
• HR training
• Generalist support for SMEs

Career highlights

Before launching her own consultancy practice in 2012, Ruth was Senior HR Manager at Homebase (HR lead at Head Office, responsible for a 20-strong team, where she worked on union strategies, launched a ‘Top Talent’ programme for succession planning, instigated the group’s first HR development framework, introduced new performance management grades, developed a head office ‘People Plan’ to support group business strategy, etc). Before that she was HR Director at Gallagher Heath (a leading independent insurance broker), where she led a team of 15 and was responsible for the design, communication and implementation of the group’s first HR strategy; she also reduced HR costs by 20%, advised the Board on the pension and TUPE implications of a major restructuring, managed the roll-out of a Learning Management System and launched a successful group-wide sales training programme.  Her previous roles were as Senior HR Manager at Travelport (a global travel technology firm) and European HR Officer at Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

Testimonials

‘I have known Ruth for many years through local HR networks and when our organisation needed some additional HR capacity, I immediately turned to her. Ruth helped us during a time of major change to navigate the HR hurdles that come with reorganisation. She was very quick to respond and understand our needs. Her experience, knowledge and professionalism are second to none. I highly recommend Ruth.’

Magdalena Aydin, Head of People – Exemplas

‘Ruth helps the Society for Occupational Medicine on an ongoing basis – providing HR advice, drafting contracts and most recently, facilitating a very effective team building away day. Ruth has excellent skills in HR, is friendly, professional and I would recommend her without hesitation.’

Nick Pahl, CEO – Society of Occupational Medicine

‘I have had the wonderful position of being managed by Ruth as I was up and coming in my HR career and then working with her on some key people projects for InHealth. Ruth has a great style and is so knowledgeable on the different applications possible in a solution. She extracts the right information, setting out a clear way to ensure the right outcomes. An absolute pleasure to work with and a trusted business partner for people projects. I cannot recommend her highly enough!’

Leanne Gardiner, People Director, PwC

‘Every so often you meet someone like Ruth, and the world is instantly a better place. Ruth is a great organiser and doer, she is selfless and humble, an excellent communicator and a great connector. And she is an exceptional HR and OD consultant- she knows her stuff! And if she’s not an expert in a field she knows someone who is. If you need support around tricky people issues, Ruth is your woman to turn to.’

Ted Smith, Senior HR/OD Consultant, Author, Mentor, Publisher

‘Ruth is an excellent trainer, the dynamics of our group worked really well, and delivered a very thought- provoking, interesting, and enjoyable session.’

Richard, Building Surveyor, Dacorum Borough Council

Qualifications, training and professional memberships

• Hay Job Evaluation qualified
• MBTI qualified
• CIPD Graduate
• Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD)

Ruth is based in Hemel Hempstead.