About me
My name is Lesley-Ann. I am a senior HR practitioner with over 15 years experience. I provide interim and fractional HR leadership directly to boards, CEOs and leadership teams.
I specialise in delivering hands‑on HR leadership for transitions, restructurings and post‑deal integrations, and in professionalising people processes for growing or large organisations.
My experience includes business partnering, TUPE, M&A, preparation for business disposals and divestitures, and employment‑law.
I am a commercially-minded and pragmatic professional who brings practical analytical, planning and delivery skills with a people‑centred approach.
The journey
My career has been shaped by roles that repeatedly asked me to step into high‑pressure, high‑stakes situations and deliver clarity fast. I have taken full interim HR Director, Head of HR and HR Business partner roles, provided part‑time HR leadership for scale‑ups and SMEs, and led discrete transformation projects from policy and process re-platforming to culture and engagement programmes.
Over the years, I have stabilised HR governance after unexpected leadership exits, led TUPE consultation and post‑deal integration work for acquisitions managed by external advisers, professionalised hiring and manager capability for growing businesses, and delivered legally defensible redundancy programmes on tight timelines.
Those experiences taught me how to move from rapid assessment to practical delivery without losing sight of the people affected by change.
What I believe
I believe senior HR must be accountable, pragmatic and humane. Organisations need an experienced decision‑maker who takes ownership of outcomes rather than a rotating team of consultants. Good commercial decisions require fair, transparent people processes that protect both the business and its people.
Clarity and prioritisation reduce legal and operational risk, and change only succeeds when it is planned with empathy, communicated clearly and supported by managers. I also believe in capability transfer: sustainable change comes from leaving internal teams stronger, not dependent on external support.
How I work
I lead every engagement personally and take full accountability for outcomes. I operate at both strategic and operational levels: I work with boards and executive teams to shape workforce strategy, organisational design and people risk, and I also translate those decisions into clear, deliverable plans that managers can act on. My starting point is always a rapid diagnostic that identifies the highest‑impact priorities, followed by a pragmatic roadmap with named owners and realistic milestones.
I have managed and grown teams of HR professionals, learning and development specialists and talent partners, so I know how to build capability and create the structures that make HR sustainable. That experience means I can design L&D and talent programmes, set up recruitment and succession processes, and coach HR leads to run them confidently after I leave. I treat capability transfer as a core deliverable: documentation, training and one‑to‑one coaching are built into every hand-over.
At the same time, I am hands‑on. When a brief requires it, I will roll up my sleeves and lead operational work — running recruitment end‑to‑end, conducting employee relations investigations, drafting and implementing policies, or leading TUPE consultations and redundancy programmes. I balance that operational focus with legal rigour and commercial judgement so that actions are defensible and aligned to business priorities.
My style is collaborative and people‑centred. I collaborate with leaders and line managers to shape communications, coach difficult conversations, and ensure affected people are treated fairly. I prioritise clarity and regular check-points so that stakeholders always know progress and next steps, keeping the business moving while managing risk.
Finally, I deliver measurable outcomes and a clear exit plan. Whether the engagement is a two‑week Health Check, a fractional retainer or a full‑time interim placement, you will obtain documented decisions, trained people, and a practical hand-over that leaves your HR function stronger and more self‑sufficient.
How to hire me
I offer clear ways to engage:
- HR Health Check: A fixed‑fee, 2‑week rapid review that gives a clear, independent snapshot of your HR function and immediate priorities;
- Fractional: On-going senior HR leadership on a monthly retainer, typically 1–2 days per week, with a three‑month initial term;
- Interim: A full‑time, hands‑on HR leader for 3–12 months to cover vacancies, long-term absence, or deliver critical projects.
I operate through Capacium Limited, my consultancy. Where scope requires it, I can bring in trusted and experienced specialists with whom I have worked — from M&A and investment banking advisory, financial modelling to professional training.