When a new HR leader steps into a role, they don’t arrive to a blank page. They inherit. Sometimes it’s a high-performing HR team with energy and ambition. Sometimes it’s policies that don’t fit, engagement scores that tell a harder truth, or suppliers that no one’s challenged for years.
For new HR decision-makers, the early weeks are about making sense of this inheritance - sorting the gems from the junk - and setting out their own agenda. That’s why it’s such a critical moment for suppliers. Decisions get made fast, loyalties are tested, and opportunities are wide open.
At Honch, we track every HR appointment as it happens, so our clients know exactly who to reach out to, when it matters most. And today alone, we’ve seen more than 100 fresh HR hires. Here are six examples from today’s arrivals, and the inheritance they’ll be managing:
1. Niamh Cray - Director of People, Culture and HR, Amach
- The Good: A capable HR function already embedded in culture and people strategy.
- The Challenges: Employee feedback suggests gaps around recognition and career development - progression isn’t always clear.
- Likely Focus: Niamh will want to quickly build trust by tightening performance management and development frameworks, while reviewing engagement tools and recognition suppliers.
- Inherited Partners: Cezanne HR
2. Becks Summers - VP People, Go City
- The Good: An HR team that’s kept people strategy aligned to global growth.
- The Challenges: Engagement data points to uneven employee experiences across markets, with communication and workload flagged as concerns.
- Likely Focus: Becks may look at supplier relationships in internal comms and wellbeing to address these issues, while strengthening international HR consistency.
- Inherited Partners: CultureAmp, Lattice
3. Michelle Unsworth - Chief People Officer, Kambi
- The Good: A proactive HR setup with investment in culture-building initiatives.
- The Challenges: Staff feedback highlights pressure around workload and wellbeing - suggesting the pace of growth has stretched people thin.
- Likely Focus: Michelle will likely put wellbeing central, evaluating current HR tech and benefits providers while setting clearer guardrails around workload.
- Inherited Partners: Workday, Benify
4. Toni Bulley - Director of People, Proddow Mackay Solicitors
- The Good: A dedicated HR function supporting a close-knit professional services team.
- The Challenges: Survey results suggest frustrations with career pathways and internal comms, where employees feel visibility is limited.
- Likely Focus: Toni will probably review L&D suppliers and explore modernising employee communications, ensuring HR is seen as a driver of change.
- Inherited Partners: Breathe HR
5. Amy Breeds - Chief People Officer, UP3
- The Good: An agile HR team tuned into the needs of a fast-moving tech business.
- The Challenges: Employees have raised concerns about recognition and transparency around career progression.
- Likely Focus: Amy will likely prioritise career pathing and reward strategy, taking a fresh look at suppliers in L&D and engagement.
- Inherited Partners: HiBob
6. Rachel Reddan - People Director, Warner Hotels
- The Good: An HR operation that’s delivered strong hiring outcomes in a tough hospitality market.
- The Challenges: Retention remains a challenge, with staff highlighting workload pressure and gaps in recognition.
- Likely Focus: Rachel’s early agenda will likely centre on retention, reviewing wellbeing, scheduling, and recognition platforms for frontline staff.
- Inherited Partners: Fourth, Harri
Why This Matters for You
Every new HR leader has a short window to set the tone. They inherit good HR teams, but also the challenges - disengaged staff, negative feedback, and supplier rosters that may not survive a fresh review.
For suppliers, this is the golden moment to connect. And only Honch gives you the scale and precision to do it - tracking every HR appointment, every day, so you can be first in line when decisions are being made.
.jpg)