Joanna has a wealth of expertise as a commercially focused people leader with a specific interest in how SME businesses can get more from their HR function. She believes that HR should be central to the commercial agenda and operate as a genuine business partner for founders and CEOs.

She has developed a proven approach which she now shares through her ongoing client work and speaking engagements. Joanna has worked in CPO and COO roles with over 30 years of experience in corporate and SME environments, including Whitbread, Costa, Starbucks, M&S and then numerous SME clients. In recent years she has specialised in the PE backed fast growth start up and investor backed mid tier businesses. Her wide experience in an array of sectors and industries has developed her expertise in people strategy and reinforced her determination that people are the single biggest difference between business success and failure. Joanna paused her corporate career after the birth of her second child and pivoted to start up a business in a completely new sector. She built and sold this company some years later and since then has enjoyed challenge and variety in her consulting career. The knowledge she gained from her entrepreneurial years has proved invaluable in broadening her experience and her approach is built on her awareness of the challenge’s companies face in the real world. She is passionate about building high performance capability and is a seasoned expert in commercial and strategic people solutions.

Joanna has an MBA and is CIPD qualified. Joanna practices Yoga regularly, loves outdoor activities, and supports her two children in their passions for equestrian sports, rugby and Liverpool football club!