Hi, I'm Kelly ...
... a leading Coach, Speaker, and Author in the world of HR, Organisational Change and Development and Burnout.
I started my career in HR in 1998, (I know I don't look that old) convinced that I could stop the Monday-to-Friday dying cycle that so many people go through every single working week.
I quickly gained a reputation for being a a rebel and a rulebreaker and I was HRD, leading a team of 43 incredible HR Pros just 12 years later, in an organisation of over 4000 people, where I was also named by the CIPD as the UK's Youngest HR Director..
In 2002 I started talking about and implementing ways of work that could help to create individualism in the workplace.
In 2008 I scrapped annual performance appraisals.
In 2010 I began to Burn the Handbook.
And in 2019, after two periods of Burnout, a divorce, a new home, authoring four books, and growing a multi-award-winning consultancy whilst being a single Mum to my twin sons, I implemented four-day working in my consultancy, following the 100-80-100 four-day working methodology. I closed the business one day a week and paid my team 100% salary for a 28-hour working week.
My mission to change the world of work is still what gets me out of bed each day.
I work with HR and People Leaders, Boards, and Executive teams, in doing things differently, ripping up the rulebook and changing the world of work for them and their people.
More ...
I live in Cambridgeshire with my partner, sons, step-sons and rescue dog. I love reading, I'm a life-long learner and I teach yoga and meditation once a week at the studio where I trained.
I'm a neuroscience geek, and whilst I fail a lot, I'm keen on growing my own plants and foods in our allotment. I walk a lot, love to cycle and attend spin classes and get a lot of energy from lifting weights. My chill-time is my yoga time. I love true-life films, listen to podcasts most days, I'm a huge fan of Brené Brown, Glennon Doyle, and Mary Portas, and have a huge variety of music that I listen to depending on my mood and energy - as I write this I'm listening to Ludovico Einaudi - bet you didn't see that coming.
I'm an introvert who loves speaking on stage to thousands of people and I love to dance, although these days it's mostly around the house.
I'm curious, passionate, and straight-talking, and value courage, honesty, fairness, and integrity (doing the right thing even when nobody else is looking).
Writing gives me my most moments of recharge and rest, I can lose myself for hours in my latest blog or in my books or articles.
Changing the world of work is what gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me driven and motivated in my work.
I'll always be an advocate for Burnout Prevention, as I never want anyone to experience what I experience, it sucked!
Clients and Employers
I've worked with employers such as Waitrose, John Lewis, Luminus Group, and Genesis Housing.
Clients have included Thomas Cook, NEWS UK, LUSH, Tesco, Walsingham Support, BUNZL, M&S, Affinity Water, Reigate, Banstead Borough Borough Council, NHS, Dominos, LifePlus, Visa, Natwest, and Barclays.
I've led HR teams of up to 60 people, managed projects and budgets of hundreds of millions of pounds, and worked with Exec Teams and Leadership Teams as a coach, advisor, mentor and consultant.
I'm a five-time author, and contributor for a variety of magazines, newspapers, and publications, and have appeared numerous times on radio on TV. I speak to HR audiences around the world, and delivered my first TEDx in 2022.
Qualifications
completed my BSc in Psychology in 2007 my MCIPD in 2008 and my MSc in Organisational Change and Development in 2017. In 2011 I qualified as an Executive Coach with the AoEC accredited by the ICF. I've completed certificates and diplomas in Neuroscience, Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, Firewalking, Facilitation, Training Design, Yoga Teaching, Meditation, Breathwork, Empowerment and Breakthrough Coaching, and numerous psychometric tests.
In 2023 I was named as HR Most Influential Thinker and one of the most influential Neurodiverse Women Founders.
I'm always learning or reading something new, but I feel that it's my skills and experience that help me to help my clients the most.
If I sound like the type of coach you'd love to work with or the type of speaker you'd love at your event, get in touch, I'd love to talk.
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