Katie Frost

Level 7 CIPD-qualified HR leader with over 20 years building and running the people function for founders, CEOs and Boards, spanning technology, management consulting, digital transformation and corporate advisory. Proven at Board and Operations Board level, leading global people strategy, remuneration, talent and organisational design across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and APAC. Experienced in high-stakes employee relations, large-scale restructuring and post-acquisition integration, with a track record of building HR functions from the ground up and scaling them through growth and change.

Currently available for fractional, interim and portfolio HR leadership mandates.

Global People Director at Kekst CNC (2023-06 – 2026-05)

Strategic communications & corporate advisory. Reported to CEO. Operations Board & Executive Committee. Led a team of 11 across 4 countries.

• Set and delivered global people strategy across Europe, the Middle East and APAC, aligning HR investment with commercial and Board priorities.
• Resolved complex, high-risk employee relations cases through targeted coaching and mediation, delivering over €1m in cost avoidance for the business.
• Led global remuneration strategy and reward reviews to maintain market competitiveness across all regions.
• Directed performance calibration and talent decisions for senior stakeholders, strengthening succession planning at leadership level.
• Owned the annual HR budget, ensuring cost-effective, high-impact delivery of the people agenda.
• Built leadership capability across the organisation through coaching and structured management development programmes.

Head of People & Talent at Alchemmy (2021-11 – 2023-06)

Growth-stage technology. Reported to MD. Senior Leadership Team & Board member alongside the two cofounders.

• Established people processes / approach as the first People hire.
• Built the employer brand and reward strategy from the ground up, improving attraction and retention for a scaling founder-led business.
• Designed promotion, appraisal and talent engagement cycles covering diversity and wellbeing.
• Led internal communications strategy, including fortnightly all-company meetings, to keep a fast-growing workforce aligned and engaged.

Group Head of People at The FD & CFO Centre UK (2021-03 – 2021-08)

A leading provider of fractional CFO and Finance Director services — first-hand experience of building and operating the fractional executive model from the inside. Reported to CEO. Senior Leadership Team. Led a team of 4.

• Set and delivered people strategy aligning HR approach with commercial and business priorities.

Global Head of HR at Chaucer (2019-05 – 2020-09)

Digital transformation consultancy. Reported to Founder/CEO. Led a 3-person team. Operations Board member.

• Commercially positioned HR within business planning, aligning people priorities directly with stakeholder and growth objectives.
• Led employee relations and policy matters with judgement across multiple international markets.
• Owned 4 promotion and salary review rounds through committee leadership.
• Championed diversity, inclusion, wellbeing and engagement initiatives across all locations.

HR Manager at Baringa Partners LLP (2017-05 – 2019-05)

Management consultancy (~630 employees). Reported to HR Director. Led a team of 4.

• Owned the biannual appraisal process and 4 promotion cycles end-to-end.
• Advised managers on performance, long-term sickness and contentious employee relations matters with commercial judgement.
• Led diversity and inclusion initiatives across the firm.
• Reviewed HR team structure and realigned roles to skills, improving service delivery to the business.

HR Business Partner → Head of HR, UK at EMC UK Ltd / Dell EMC (2008-04 – 2017-04)

Technology consultancy. UK delivery organisation of 100–200 people, ~$70m annual revenue. UK management team, full HR accountability.

• Led complex restructuring processes through a major organisational integration.
• Managed the full employee lifecycle, including settlement agreements, exit negotiations and office closures.
• Rolled out a new online HR self-service system and drove the "Great Place to Work" initiative.
• Became a trusted advisor to the senior management team on talent, career development and business integration.

Head of HR; HR Advisor at Conchango (2002-01 – 2008-04)

Privately-owned technology consultancy. Reported to the Finance Director on the Board. Sole HR lead.

• Built HR from scratch — policies, contracts, induction, right-to-work processes and the staff handbook.
• Scaled the HR function as headcount grew from ~100 to ~400 people ahead of the company's acquisition by EMC.
• Led a 7-person HR and recruitment team, and directed restructuring and settlement negotiations through the acquisition.

Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management – Farnborough College of Technology (2000 – 2004)