Skip links

About me

People fascinate me

They always have, so it’s no surprise that my career in Human Resources spans more than 20 years. Over that time I’ve got the t-shirt. From working on the frontline and getting the HR basics in place, to taking a seat at the boardroom table as a strategic partner and confidante to the CEO.

Now, as a freelance HR Consultant and a qualified and accredited executive coach, I’m here to share my skills and experiences with you to help you get the most out of your people and improve your business results.

My story

My coaching style

My clients say I’m collaborative, warm and a lot of fun and I have to admit, I think that’s probably true. Whilst I use humour and insight to help individuals play to their strengths, I also use honesty and empathy to help them step beyond their comfort zone, gain greater self-awareness, and deliver results.

Because every person is different my approach is individual and bespoke. Whilst occasionally challenging, what underpins my approach is a sense of trust and respect – a safe and positive space for my clients to develop, move forward and grow.

HR Coaching Strengths-based Coaching

Core values

My values reflect who I am and how I work

Passionate

At the heart of what I do is a passionate belief that caring about the people within organisations is our moral duty, the right thing to do. Although I make decisions with my head, I do the work I do because my heart is engaged in this wonderful work. I am not cold or detached in my decision-making, I am compassionate with the people I work with, and I am proud of that. People in organisations matter and I strongly believe that happy, fulfilled people deliver results.

Engaging

There’s nothing worse than being ‘talked at’ or having to sit through a long, boring presentation when there’s pressing work to be done. Whilst my work is based on fact not fiction, and I draw on the best expertise and thinking in the world – I’m happy to rip up the rulebook to challenge assumptions, bounce ideas and encourage my clients to explore and learn. When delivering training I make it as dynamic as possible and I unashamedly include jokes and humour to help keep it fresh and fun.

Action-orientated

​As we’re all busy people I like to get to the heart of an issue quickly and identify what’s really going on. One of my greatest strengths is my ability to simplify a complex situation and develop a clear strategy and action plan that delivers results. I have a practical, hands-on approach and a ‘can do’ not a ‘make do’ attitude. My mother was a no-nonsense Yorkshire woman with the gifted ability to ‘get things done’- it would appear the apple never fell very far from the tree.

My story & credentials

By all accounts I was an inquisitive child. I asked lots of questions, and also liked to listen. I was fascinated by the universe and what made people ‘tick’. So it was with no great surprise that I ended up in HR, a discipline that I’ve called home for over 20 years.

My story My credentials

My story

By all accounts I was an inquisitive child. I asked lots of questions, and also liked to listen. I was fascinated by the universe and what made people ‘tick’. So it was with no great surprise that I ended up in HR, a discipline that I’ve called home for over 20 years.

My early years saw me working for Prudential in the role of HR Project Support and then for Linklakers and Channel 4 as HR Business Partner. ​ Despite each of these organisations being so different in size, focus and culture, I was able to learn the importance of working in partnership with the leadership to integrate the people strategy with the business strategy.

In my 30s I moved to New Zealand, curious to see how life would be there. I headed up HR in a range of industries, from banking, to manufacturing and FMCG. At ANZ I served as a steady hand during the merger of ANZ and National Bank of New Zealand. As well as dealing with the practical impact of this on the people and HR processes within the business, I was tasked with the important job of ensuring that the senior management team developed the right internal capacity to understand and manage the emotional aspects associated with organisational change.

My next move was to Coca-Cola. As an industry leader, they understood the importance of having happy, motivated employees and were keen to refine their talent development strategy. As National HR Manager I worked hard with the senior executives to make this their #1 priority, an area I still feel deeply passionate about. Coca-Cola went on to win the prestigous Aon Best Employer Award, and are now seen as one of the best places to work in New Zealand. At Johnsons Controls, I was brought in specifically to partner with the CEO and lead a culture change programme that would ensure sustainable profitability.

I’ve been back in the UK since 2010, first leading the global HR team at Lebara Mobile, where I led a range of complex reward, engagement, and culture programmes in a fast-paced, global team. From here I moved to Bluefin Solutions, a founder led technology consultancy, where I joined the Board and led a fabulous team to achieve a coveted place on the Sunday Times Top 100 List two years in a row, and was shortlisted for a CIPD award for Best L&D initiative.

I now enjoy translating the experience gained throughout my career into achieving positive change for my clients, helping them understand their people and improve business performance.

No-one strives to be average. If we understand our strengths, we can successfully leverage them to grow and develop, both individually and at a corporate level, to truly flourish.

I live in London, with my husband Joe. Outside of work, my time is mostly spent beside, in or on the water. We take regular trips to the coast, I’m a sucker for a good sunset, and in the summer I have a somewhat unlikely addiction to slalom water skiing. I just love the smell of neoprene in the morning!

Gemma Bullivant

My credentials

Achieved Sunday Times Top 100 Company to work for
(2015 and 2016)

Shortlisted for CIPD Annual Award for Best Learning & Development Initiative
(2015)

  • Professional Certified Coach (PCC) awarded by the International Coach Federation (ICF)
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD)
  • Masters in Applied Coaching and Positive Psychology (First Class)
  • ​Postgraduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching
  • Postgraduate Advanced CIPD Award in Reward Management
  • Certified Grief Recovery Specialist ®
  • Accredited Core Strengths SDI 2.0 Practitioner
  • Qualified Mental Health First Aider

Gemma Bullivant