Hello, I’m Helen.

I’m your culture-change partner.

Working hand-in-hand, we’ll align your workplace culture to your business strategy, and unlock and accelerate success.

Six reasons why you should work with me

1. Benefit from 20 years of comms and culture work

I’ve been elbows-deep in the work of communicating ideas and shaping cultures for (almost) two decades. My first job out of university was working for Sir James Dyson, and I’ve supported and advised executives every year since. I get founder-led culture and large, matrixed, international teams, because I’ve been there, led that.

2. Advice you (or I) can implement

I never learned off-the-shelf agency models, I’ve only ever been fully ‘in it’, and I still like to work that way. I can flex from advisor to implementer, depending on what you need. No 350-page PowerPoint decks; my tailored advice works because I understand the pressures you’re dealing with. Or, you can give me a brief and I’ll get it done.

3. I’ll extend your team (not replace them)

Although I’m not a conventional HR person, I always admire and appreciate People Teams. I work as an extension of your team, like an added ingredient. The team always get the credit for anything we produce together, so the work feels owned by them and has a life that extends far beyond the duration of my engagement.

4. People and culture Swiss army knife* breadth

My background in public relations, internal communications, marketing, brand and people teams means I’m confident taking on any workplace culture puzzle. I love a varied challenge; from HR approaches to internal comms strategies, to employer brands, and everything in between.

*A client’s words, not my own.

5. Professional, certified and accredited coach

I’ve achieved the rigorous Associate Certified Coach credential with the International Coaching Federation. I coach Executives and up-and-coming leaders alike. And I bring my coaching skills – listening, intuition, facilitation, challenge and humour – into my consulting work where it helps too.

6. In it for the long haul

Change takes time. My client relationships are often long-term, and I never take on more than three at a time. Think of me as your Associate Culture Director. I’ll work only on what’s most important, get you from where you are now to where you’d like to be, and leave you in a more confident and effective place.

How I can help

From strategies to behaviours, EVPs to away days – I partner with organisations on the big and small stuff that makes culture brilliant everyday. Support is fully flexible – just the services you need, shaped around your team’s strength, gaps, and capacity.

Discovery

Understand where your culture is, and needs to be

Executive offsites
Workshops & focus groups
Internal comms audit
Culture mapping

Strategy

Identify required shifts and plot a route to getting there

Internal comms & engagement strategy
Values & behaviours
Employee Value Proposition & Employer brand
M&A culture strategy

Launch

Make the change clear and compelling

Launch campaigns and events
Digital & physical campaign assets
Communications coaching
Speaker briefs and speechwriting

Embedding

Establish everyday rhythms that make culture change stick

Ongoing communications
Employee experiences
Ways of working approaches

Coaching

Establish everyday rhythms that make culture change stick

1:1 Executive Coaching
Leadership team coaching
People team mentoring

Find out more

My ethos

Communication is everything

Verbal, visual, written, non-verbal… what, where, when and how you communicate enhances the culture you’re building, or undermines it.

Deeds, as well as words

Delivering a well-crafted message is critical, but not sufficient. Your culture needs to see you act, not just talk.

Sleeves rolled up

Change sticks when it’s owned by the team. I co-create with your team, making friends quickly, getting into the weeds, sharing often, and welcoming feedback.

Honesty over harmony

I’ll say it as I see it, even if you might not like hearing it. You’ve already got enough people telling you what they think you want to hear.

All about impact

I’ll only do work I believe will have an impact.

About Me

After gaining my degree in Sociology, I started out at Dyson, leading Sir James Dyson’s philanthropic work before expanding into internal and external comms, and later directing global communications.

But I wanted to do more than communicate culture. I wanted to shape it. I joined Dyson’s HR Leadership team, creating its first EVP, People Experience strategy, and values in partnership with James and Jake Dyson.

That experience sparked a shift. I realised more organisations needed this kind of work – real, supported culture change that lasts beyond the launch deck. So in 2018, I stepped out of Dyson and into consulting, and a few years later, coaching.

Since then, I’ve partnered with long-term clients, helping their teams create culture change that sticks.

Certifications and education:

Associate Certified Coach,
International Coaching Foundation
International Systemic Team Coaching® Practitioner
Business and Personal Coaching Certification, ICF Level 2
Hogan Assessments Certification
Mental Health First Aider

What people say

“Helen is a strategic thought leader who has been fundamental in repositioning Zoopla’s EVP and employee experience, including our approach to D,E & I. She is deeply thoughtful and empathetic in her approach, always conscious of the audience and the communication to that audience. She is well-read on her areas of expertise and stays on top of ever-evolving trends in the market – as such, she operates as a trusted advisor to me as Chief People Officer and also to our Chief Executive Officer. We would not have achieved half of what we have implemented in the past three years across the employee experience without Helen’s trusted partnership.”

Catrin Anderson

Chief People Officer, Zoopla

“Helen is hugely talented and a joy to work with. Her work is considered, authentic and impactful. She challenges thinking, knows how to engage and connect with people and has been a huge asset and support in how to communicate complex problems, information or issues. She is the first person I call if I want to deliver great work that speaks to colleagues on a human level and achieves our business objectives.

Helen would be an asset to any organisation as a listening ear, a critical friend, a communications expert, a development consultant and an engager of people. She’s simply brilliant.”

Beth-Marie Norbury

Group Culture & Leadership Change Director,
Babcock International Group PLC

“Helen is a rare and exceptional talent in the employee experience, culture and innovation space – but as important, she appreciates the realities and practical considerations of her clients’ circumstances. She has a unique ability to translate observations & interactions into ‘gems’ of insights, which she can then effortlessly transfer into real actions. My Exco colleagues and leadership team valued working with her – we involved her in strategic discussions to benefit from her thinking and bias for action.”

Laura Hagan

Chief HR Officer,
Tate & Lyle PLC

“Helen is one of the most talented individuals I have ever worked with. Helen has a breadth which is rare to find, but is clearly shown in her career. She can turn her hand to anything – her intelligence, sophisticated communication skills, eye for design, and ability to be strategic but also execute all manner of projects means she successfully operates at all levels, and delivers consistently outstanding work. Helen’s broad experience, creative flair, passion for people and for doing the right thing, mean that she understands culture change instinctively. Importantly though, it also means she knows how to make things happen and transform in big organisations.”

Tammy Potter

People Director
Elvie

“Helen’s authentic and genuine style puts others at ease; when faced with a challenging situation, people look to her for a positive fresh perspective and effective solutions. I’ve been lucky to work closely with Helen, she’s been one of my biggest supporters and a fantastic coach and mentor, always pushing me beyond my comfort zone, challenging me to think bigger and giving me the confidence I need to take important steps in my career. Her unwavering support has helped me get to where I am now and will shape my future decisions for years to come. I’ve loved every minute working alongside Helen and I genuinely cannot recommend partnering with her enough.”

Abi Lawrence

Employee Engagement Executive,
Zoopla

Blog

Great culture: is it less about 'Engagement', more about 'Mattering'?

A must-listen for all leaders, and some simple but profound advice. Can’t wait to read the whole book.

All Articles