Nobody told the HR world that July was supposed to be a quieter month. We've seen significant shifts in major UK brands that will have ramifications for how they manage their people and culture strategies. Here’s a snapshot of some of the key HR leaders and strategic shifts to take away from July 2025, highlighting major opportunities for providers in the months ahead.

Over 2,600 New HR & People Leaders Driving Change in the UK

The summer hasn't slowed down for new hires yet - we tracked 2,600+ senior HR appointments this month across a diverse range of recognised brands. These new leaders have inherited incumbent providers and will be reviewing all of them right now as they plan their first steps. You can view every new hire on Honch today and filter by company size, sector and HR specialism, but some key moves include:

• SSP: Daniella Giersch, Chief People Officer UK & Ireland
• Ricoh Europe: Luisa Vilela, Human Resources Director
• Arco: John Lambert, Chief People Officer
• Elemis: Clare Bishop, Chief People Officer
• Peak Scientific: Hannah Stewart, Group Human Resources Director
• Royal London: Kate Naylor, Group Reward and Performance Director
• JD.COM: Alina Nikiel, UK Human Resources Director
• Gerald Edelman: Olivia Parrish, Chief People Officer

Over 1,500 Promotions Reshaping HR Strategies

Newly promoted HR buyers have expanded remits, new agendas and bigger budgets. They're looking to make their mark quickly in their new roles and are key prospects. Some of this month's major promotions include:

• Anglo American: Christian Cormack, Vice President, People Analytics
• BNP Paribas: Louise Fitzgerald-Lombard, Chief Human Resources Officer for CIB and ALMT
• Co-op Live: Catherine Wallace, Chief People Officer
• EMC3: Kyna Sear, VP of People & Performance
• Endava: Rob Machin, Chief People and Locations Officer
• PepsiCo: Louise Williams, VP People – UK&I
• RockarTech: Angela Chapman, Chief People Officer
• Vitality: Luke McClaran, Chief People Officer

CEO Appointments Driving UK Strategic Directions

Leadership changes at the very top also saw significant shifts. These high-level appointments frequently lead to a re-evaluation of HR strategies, technology stacks, and external partnerships as new visions are implemented:

• Revolut: Beatrice Cossa-Dumurgier, CEO Western Europe
• Medivet Group: Ben Jacklin, UK Chief Executive
• Decathlon: Elena Pecos, Chief Executive Officer
• Remy Cointreau: Franck Marilly, Chief Executive Officer, Remy Cointreau
• Whistl: Ian Keilty, Chief Executive Officer
• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: Stefan Mecha, Chief Executive Officer
• SUEZ: Xavier Girre, Chief Executive Officer - SUEZ Group

Fresh Funding = Expanding UK HR Budgets

July's funding announcements saw 129 UK companies receive backing for their continued growth. These injections of new funding often directly translate to expanded teams and a greater need for robust HR infrastructure and support. Take note of these rising stars from July:

• PhysicsX: £101 million (Series B)
• Metaview: £28 million (Series B)
• Definely: £24 million (Series B)

Key UK HR Trends and Opportunities from July

Our social listening allows clients to track companies discussing key HR topics, allowing you to join the conversation and target prospects that are facing challenges that you can help solve. In July:

• Inclusive Workplaces: Over 2,871 companies have been championing inclusivity, with 1,687 companies discussing diversity and 247 companies championing female employees.
• Employee Wellbeing & Mental Health: 1,133 companies are discussing employee mental health right now, and 332 companies are focused on wellbeing. Providers of EAPs, wellbeing platforms, and mental health support services have clear opportunities.
• Flexible Working & Benefits: 452 companies are promoting flexible working, while 2,201 companies offer gym schemes and 2,281 companies provide private healthcare. There's also a significant focus on fertility & menopause benefits (434 companies), and childcare as a benefit, signalling demand for comprehensive benefits packages.
• Talent Acquisition & Development: 1,915 companies have been actively hiring, with 236 companies hiring apprentices and 151 companies hiring graduates. 1,811 companies were promoting their graduate schemes this month, and 439 companies are discussing Learning & Development.
• Sustainability & ESG: 6,600 companies are actively talking sustainability, an area increasingly tied to employer brand and HR initiatives.
• Organisational Change: 371 companies are discussing new office spaces, and 69 companies made acquisitions – both signal periods of significant change requiring HR support in change management, integration, and cultural alignment.

Essential Honch Lists for July 2025

Our Honch Lists allow clients to target groups of companies, and their HR buyers, that are either focused on the same thing, or discussing the same topic. In July these included:

• Leadership Restructuring July 2025: 24 Companies
• AIM Listed Companies: 464 Companies
• All UK HR Promotions July 2025: 1,137 Companies
• UK Fast Growth Index 2025 Regional Champions (South, Midlands & East, Northern Ireland, London, North, Wales, Scotland - total 368 companies)
• Companies Hiring Apprentices in June 2025: 236 Companies
• Companies Offering EV Schemes - 2025: 532 Companies
• Companies Hiring Graduates in June 2025: 151 Companies
• Companies Discussing Gender Pay Equality - June 2025: 72 Companies
• Inclusive Employers: 2,871 Companies
• Companies Offering Fertility & Menopause Benefits: 434 Companies
• Companies Offering Childcare as a Benefit - 2025: 434 Companies
• Companies Hiring in June 2025: 1,915 Companies
• Companies Offering Gym Schemes 2025: 2,201 Companies
• Companies Offering Private Healthcare - 2025: 2,281 Companies
• Companies Championing Female Employees - June 2025: 247 Companies
• Companies Making Acquisitions - June 2025: 69 Companies
• Companies Talking Sustainability - June 2025: 6,600 Companies
• Companies Promoting Graduate Schemes - June 2025: 1,811 Companies
• Companies Discussing Charitable Giving - June 25: 3,506 Companies
• Companies Promoting Flexible Working - June 25: 452 Companies
• Companies Discussing Employee Surveys - June 2025: 22 Companies
• Companies Promoting Family Values - June 2025: 425 Companies
• Companies Talking Diversity - June 2025: 1,687 Companies
• Companies discussing new office spaces - June 2025: 371 Companies
• Companies discussing L & D - June 2025: 439 Companies
• Companies Talking Mental Health - June 2025: 1,133 Companies
• Companies Talking About Employee Wellbeing - June 2025: 332 Companies
• B Corps - June 2025: 19 Companies
• Companies Focused on International Growth - July 2025: 363 Companies
• Increasing Monthly Headcount - June 2025: 813 Companies
• Recently Funded - June 2025: 129 Companies

38,968 Reasons to GTM in July

In just one month, Honch tracked 38,968 company or contact buying signals to help our clients proactively engage HR decision-makers that are in the market for their services. From making sure you always target every newly appointed HR Director who is reviewing their inherited suppliers, to letting you know which companies are discussing employee mental health, we make sure you never miss another revenue opportunity.

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