Pragmatic people strategy.
Measurable results.
How UK tech founders and scale-ups partner with Act HR to remove internal bottlenecks, unblock leadership, and build scalable foundations.
No corporate theatre, no unnecessary red tape. Just direct, sensible HR and People strategy and operations that support growth.
Case Study:
Deeper Insights
AI consultancy (Cisco acquisition) • Scaled to 40 headcount • Fractional CPO (Growth Retainer)
Scaling talent architecture and management capability through to tech acquisition.
The Situation:
As a fast-scaling AI consultancy, Deeper Insights needed to mature internal operations and transition towards a policy-driven organisation without introducing administrative bloat. Headcount growth was putting pressure on leadership, requiring senior people operations expertise to align technical capabilities with commercial goals and prepare the business for exit.
The Solution:
Embedded as Fractional Chief People Officer, delivering practical people infrastructure across the organisation:
Designed and implemented structured recruitment processes to maintain hiring standards at speed.
Architected the talent framework, establishing progression paths, role expectations, and job descriptions across technical and commercial functions.
Introduced market-calibrated salary benchmarking and completed a full benefits strategy review to protect retention.
Implemented a quarterly review cycle alongside objective performance management processes.
Defined the role of the people manager and delivered targeted coaching to improve leadership capability.
Supported due diligence and integration exercises throughout M&A phase.
The Result:
Established scalable, objective people foundations that freed up leadership time, maintained high retention across critical technical talent, and successfully supported the organisation’s people operations and compliance through its acquisition by Cisco.
“Alex joined Deeper Insights at a pivotal moment, where the business needed to scale. We went from 10 to 40 employees over a couple of years, and lacked the proper structure to support our People needs.
Alex came in as a fractional Chief People Officer and her strategic work covered every aspect of People including recruitment best practice, making our organisation more attractive to new talent, whilst also focusing on retaining existing talent.
She also helped to create a policy-led people management framework, that took away a huge amount of work from myself and my leadership team in having to answer a multitude of questions whilst also retaining our all-important positive work culture.
Her prior experience working in technology companies meant she totally understood our people, their needs and the culture we wanted to build on.
Her honest and direct communication style allowed me to make well informed decisions quickly, and was paramount to our ability to scale.
On top of all this, Alex supported myself and our team through a very lengthy acquisition, ensuring we maintained an open dialogue with all our staff and ultimately retained everyone throughout the transition period. I can’t recommend her services enough, she’s worth every penny.”
Jack Hampson, Founder & CEO, Deeper Insights
Case Study:
AG Grid
Developer tools & software • High-revenue tech scale-up • Strategic People Advisory
Senior people operations governance and strategic alignment for high-performing tech teams.
The Situation:
AG Grid was navigating a pivotal period of organisational change, and with significant shifts underway across the business, they needed access to experienced, senior People expertise and a trusted strategic voice they could draw on as needs arose, without the commitment of a permanent hire.
The Solution:
Through a flexible fractional CPO engagement, I provided on-demand strategic support and a safe pair of hands across a range of People matters, including:
Process & Policy Review: Reviewed existing HR processes and policies, identifying gaps and providing practical recommendations aligned with the company's evolving needs.
Ways of Working: Supported the shaping of consistent, effective ways of working through guidance on the handling of employee incidents and queries as they arose.
Sensitive People Matters: Provided expert strategic input on nuanced people situations, ensuring outcomes were legally sound, commercially considered, and appropriate for the business's stage and context.
Leadership Support: Acted as a trusted sounding board for senior stakeholders navigating a period of significant change, offering informed, candid People advice when it was needed most.
Transition Planning: Supported the business through M&A process to a point of maturity where a permanent Head of People could be brought in, with the foundations in place for them to hit the ground running.
The Result:
The engagement gave AG Grid the senior People expertise they needed, on a flexible basis that matched the reality of the business. Nuanced people matters were handled with care and confidence, People processes were strengthened, and the organisation successfully scaled to a point where it could sustain an in-house People function.
"We brought Alex in during a period of significant change, and having that senior People expertise available to us, and on a flexible basis, made a tangible difference.
She became a trusted voice we could turn to when things got complex. Whether it was sense-checking our approach to a sensitive people matter, reviewing how we were doing things, or helping us think through our People processes, the advice was always practical, knowledgeable, and proportionate to our business.
By the time we were ready to bring a permanent Head of People on board, we had the right foundations in place. Alex's contribution to getting us there was genuinely invaluable.
I'd have no hesitation recommending Alex to any business that needs senior People expertise they can call on with confidence.”
John Masterson, CEO, AG Grid
Case study:
Kval Systems
Managed Service Provider • Founder-led • Advisory
Navigating acute people challenges and establishing foundational HR compliance.
The Situation:
An evolving technical business operating with little to no formal HR function reached a point where expanding customer demands and team growth triggered complex people situations that required immediate domain expertise.
The Solution:
Partnered directly with the founder to conduct a rapid assessment of the situation, cutting through noise to provide immediate, legally sound advice and a clear, proactive resolution plan without unnecessary red tape.
The Result:
Resolved sensitive employee relations issues swiftly, prevented costly escalation, and put sensible operational foundations in place to protect the business as it expands.
"We started working with Alex at a point where the company had little to no HR function. Our company was experiencing growth bringing with it new challenging people situations. Core business services whilst putting customers first has always been key but balance does matter. Our team realised early on HR domain expertise was essential leading us to reach out to Alex via LinkedIn. Her experience and expert advice proving invaluable navigating these issues preventing costly escalation and providing resolution.
Alex quickly got to grips with the details, gave clear and direct advice whilst guiding us through all matters in a way that was commercially sensible and legally sound, without unnecessary hedging or complication. Alex advised us what we needed to do and helped us do it correctly and legally whilst being proactive every step of the way.
If you're a founder without a dedicated HR resource facing something you don't want to get wrong, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Alex."
Omar Flatekval, Founder, Kval Systems
Case study:
Simpson Associates
Data & analytics consultancy • 60+ headcount • Strategic Retainer (SLT Advisory)
Managing organisational maturity, change management, and leadership team alignment.
The Situation:
The client was entering a critical period of organisational change and rapid growth. They needed to move away from reactive "firefighting" of operational issues and build a sophisticated People function that could support an evolving leadership team and an expanding workforce.
The Solution:
Over an 18-month fractional engagement, I embedded within the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to deliver:
Strategic Alignment: Defined and articulated a People Strategy and Operational Plan aligned with core business objectives.
Capability Building: Coached the internal People team to enhance their strategic practice and partnership development.
Manager Development: Designed and delivered training on employment legislation and effective management to reduce compliance risk and increase leadership autonomy.
Infrastructure: Implemented a regular, HRIS-integrated performance review process and a robust talent development framework.
Future Proofing: Supported the search, selection, and onboarding of the permanent People team, ensuring a seamless transition from fractional oversight to internal leadership.
The Result:
The engagement delivered a fundamental shift in the People function's value, positioning it as a genuine strategic partner. Key outcomes included measurable time savings across the business, a significant reduction in compliance risk, and a clear roadmap for organisational design.
“Alex brought exactly what we needed: pragmatic, straight-forward advice combined with a genuinely action-focused approach. Rather than overcomplicated project plans and theories, Alex consistently delivered practical solutions that worked for our business. The infrastructure, processes, and capabilities developed during this engagement continue to serve us well and have repositioned our People function as a genuine business partner. Alex was always responsive, professional, and focused on getting things done in a way that made sense for our organisation and our context.
I would recommend Alex to any organisation seeking expert HR and People consultancy support, particularly those navigating change, building internal capability, or looking to elevate their People function from operational to strategic.”
Rachel Hillman, CFO and Co-Owner, Simpson Associates
Facing similar people bottlenecks as you scale?
Whether you are dealing with an urgent people issue, preparing for an investment round, or need an experienced Fractional CPO to build your foundations, let's look at where your business stands.