20 HR Consulting Principals Across English Markets

Last updated: August 2026

HR consulting principals across English-speaking markets help organisations solve people, leadership and workforce problems without treating HR as a paperwork function. This list highlights 20 founders, partners, CEOs and senior advisers whose current work connects people strategy with organisational decisions across Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

As of August 2026, the useful question is not which adviser has the loudest profile. It is which kind of problem they are built to help a leadership team understand and act on.

Why HR consulting principals matter

HR consulting becomes valuable when it helps leaders make better choices about people, not when it simply adds another layer of process. A strong principal can help a team see the difference between a role problem, a capability problem, a relationship problem and a decision that has never been made clearly. That distinction matters because each problem needs a different response.

The people in this list work across several versions of that challenge. Some lead broad leadership consulting businesses. Some focus on executive search or interim leadership. Others work in people technology, workforce planning, outsourced HR or organisational design. The shared thread is that their work sits at the point where people decisions meet business direction.

For a buyer, that range is useful. It reminds you to define the job before you choose the adviser. Do you need a senior HR search, a new people operating model, support through workforce change, a clearer leadership pipeline, or practical help for an SME that is growing faster than its systems? The right principal is usually the one whose current scope matches the decision you need to make.

The entries below are presented alphabetically for easy navigation. They are not a league table. They are a working directory of current principals and senior leaders whose public roles show a clear connection to HR, people, talent or leadership consulting.

1. Tacy Byham

Chief Executive Officer, DDI

Tacy Byham is the Chief Executive Officer at DDI. This work covers global leadership consulting and HR practice oversight. That makes Tacy Byham relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

During more than 20 years at DDI, she led the creation of its Executive Development Practice and frontline leader development programmes. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

2. David Tessmann-Keys

President, DDI

David Tessmann-Keys is the President at DDI. This work covers global leadership strategy, operations and consulting. That makes David Tessmann-Keys relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

He has consulted with local and multinational organisations across Australia, Asia, India, Latin America, Canada, Europe and the United States. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

3. Ravin Jesuthasan

Global Transformation Services Leader, Mercer

Ravin Jesuthasan is the Global Transformation Services Leader at Mercer. This work covers HR transformation, work design and skills-powered organisations. That makes Ravin Jesuthasan relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

His book The Skills-Powered Organization was co-authored with Tanuj Kapilashrami and published by MIT Press in 2024. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

4. Rohini Ram

New Zealand People Consulting Leader, EY

Rohini Ram is the New Zealand People Consulting Leader at EY. This work covers HR transformation, change, talent, mobility, workforce planning and people consulting. That makes Rohini Ram relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She leads a team of more than 80 people across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

5. Elizabeth Schaefer

Senior Client Partner, Human Resources Officers Practice, Executive Search, Korn Ferry

Elizabeth Schaefer is the Senior Client Partner, Human Resources Officers Practice, Executive Search at Korn Ferry. This work covers senior HR executive search and talent acquisition. That makes Elizabeth Schaefer relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She specialises in placing senior HR leaders, including Chief People Officers, Heads of Talent Management and Heads of Total Rewards. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

6. Kirstin Chambers

Senior Client Partner, Executive Interim Leader, EMEA, Korn Ferry

Kirstin Chambers is the Senior Client Partner, Executive Interim Leader, EMEA at Korn Ferry. This work covers HR, change management and executive interim work. That makes Kirstin Chambers relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She has more than 20 years' experience placing executive and senior-level interims. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

7. Maggie Owens

Principal, Organizational Strategy, Korn Ferry

Maggie Owens is the Principal, Organizational Strategy at Korn Ferry. This work covers HR effectiveness, organisation design, culture and change enablement. That makes Maggie Owens relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

Her recent engagements have included strategic and transformational blueprints for human resources and hospital functions. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

8. Jacquelyn Steele

Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry

Jacquelyn Steele is the Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry. This work covers talent management, leadership development and organisational effectiveness. That makes Jacquelyn Steele relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She has worked with clients in the USA, Europe, Asia and Latin America across industries including energy, healthcare and manufacturing. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

9. George Bongiorno

Senior Client Partner, Human Resources Practice, Korn Ferry

George Bongiorno is the Senior Client Partner, Human Resources Practice at Korn Ferry. This work covers CHRO search, senior HR business partner, talent acquisition and succession work. That makes George Bongiorno relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

Before joining Korn Ferry, he spent 25 years in senior HR roles, including leading HR for Bank of America's Global Corporate and Investment Bank. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

10. Deirdre O'Shaughnessy

Senior Client Partner, Executive Search, Public Sector, Korn Ferry

Deirdre O'Shaughnessy is the Senior Client Partner, Executive Search, Public Sector at Korn Ferry. This work covers public-sector, HR, board and CEO search. That makes Deirdre O'Shaughnessy relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She sits on Korn Ferry's Irish senior leadership team and focuses on public-sector, HR, board and CEO work. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

11. Deanne Barbary

Senior Client Partner, VP, RPO, APAC, Korn Ferry

Deanne Barbary is the Senior Client Partner, VP, RPO, APAC at Korn Ferry. This work covers talent acquisition transformation, RPO and MSP advisory. That makes Deanne Barbary relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She has led teams of more than 400 professionals globally. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

12. Colleen Cox

Principal, Organizational Strategy, Korn Ferry

Colleen Cox is the Principal, Organizational Strategy at Korn Ferry. This work covers organisation strategy, diversity, equity and inclusion and HR. That makes Colleen Cox relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She has lived in six countries across the Americas and Europe. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

13. Jaime Gallocher

Founder and Director, The People Project

Jaime Gallocher is the Founder and Director at The People Project. This work covers outsourced HR, people strategy and commercial people advice. That makes Jaime Gallocher relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She splits her time between Gisborne and Auckland while leading a New Zealand HR consultancy. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

14. Joanna R. La Pointe

President and Chief Human Resources Practitioner, JRHR Consulting

Joanna R. La Pointe is the President and Chief Human Resources Practitioner at JRHR Consulting. This work covers fractional HR leadership, workforce transformation and labour relations. That makes Joanna La Pointe relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She has led a national HR consulting practice for more than 25 years across Canada, First Nations, the United States and the United Kingdom. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

15. Jessie Fortin

Founder and Senior Partner, Défis RH

Jessie Fortin is the Founder and Senior Partner at Défis RH. This work covers personalised HR management, recruitment and inclusive HR services. That makes Jessie Fortin relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

After ten years, Défis RH had built a human-centred methodology and a network of clients and partners across Quebec. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

16. Debby Carreau

CEO and Founder, Inspired HR

Debby Carreau is the CEO and Founder at Inspired HR. This work covers human resource consulting and workplace culture advice. That makes Debby Carreau relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

Inspired HR has helped organisations build stronger workplaces since 2007. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

17. Jane Ward

Founder and CEO, Tomorrow's People

Jane Ward is the Founder and CEO at Tomorrow's People. This work covers HR technology, payroll systems and workplace innovation. That makes Jane Ward relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She established New Zealand's first specialist consultancy in HR technology. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

18. Loren Mitchell

Founder, Managing Director and Principal Consultant, LMHR Consulting

Loren Mitchell is the Founder, Managing Director and Principal Consultant at LMHR Consulting. This work covers SME HR solutions, people strategy and HR consulting. That makes Loren Mitchell relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

LMHR has been in business since 2008. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

19. Kirsty Peters

Managing Director and Founder, Five Star HR

Kirsty Peters is the Managing Director and Founder at Five Star HR. This work covers HR consulting, coaching and business strategy alignment. That makes Kirsty Peters relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

Five Star HR aligns HR strategy with business strategy and can work from a single project through to a 12-month HR plan. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

20. Iolanda Hazell

Founder and Director, Infinity HR

Iolanda Hazell is the Founder and Director at Infinity HR. This work covers outsourced HR services and tailored people strategy. That makes Iolanda Hazell relevant here because the role connects people advice with a practical leadership or workforce decision.

She founded Infinity HR in 2016 after seeing a gap for quality HR advice when smaller organisations did not have a dedicated internal HR resource. That detail is worth reading in context. For a reader, it shows the work in practice. When comparing advisers, look for a clear link between the person's stated craft and the organisational decision you need to make.

What these leaders show us about HR consulting

The first pattern is that good people work is close to a decision. The decision may be who should lead, how work should be organised, what capability the business needs next, or how a growing organisation can make its people practices usable. The principal's job is not to make the decision disappear. It is to help leaders see it clearly enough to own it.

The second pattern is range. HR consulting is not one service. It includes executive search, interim work, organisational strategy, leadership development, workforce planning, people technology and outsourced support. That range is a strength when the buyer knows which problem is being solved. It becomes confusing when every service is presented as the answer to everything.

The third pattern is translation. The strongest work translates between the language of people and the language of the organisation. It connects role clarity with execution, leadership development with readiness, workforce planning with demand, and culture with the choices people see every day. That is the level at which an adviser becomes useful to a leadership team.

In my own work, I keep coming back to a simple principle: clarity comes before speed. I would rather slow a team down long enough to name the real decision than help it move quickly in five different directions.

How to use this list

Start with the problem, not the person. Write one sentence that says what needs to change, who owns the decision and what will be different if the work succeeds. Then look for the people in this list whose current scope matches that problem.

Next, ask what kind of help you need. A search partner, an organisational strategist, a leadership development specialist and an outsourced HR adviser may all be excellent, but they are not interchangeable. Use the current role and organisation lines as a first filter, then read the linked source before you make contact.

Finally, make the first conversation concrete. Ask what the adviser would want to understand, what they would not assume, what the first useful output would be and how ownership would sit with your internal leaders. Practical work should leave your team clearer about the next move, not more dependent on the adviser.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an HR consulting principal do?

An HR consulting principal leads or shapes advisory work on people, talent, leadership, workforce or organisation questions. The exact work can include executive search, HR transformation, organisation design, leadership development, workforce planning or outsourced HR support. The useful distinction is the problem the principal is equipped to help you solve.

How do I choose the right HR consultant?

Choose the consultant whose current role, organisation and specialist scope match your decision. Be specific about whether you need a hire, a change programme, a people system, leadership development or practical HR support. Ask what the first deliverable will be and how your leaders will own the work after the engagement.

Are HR consulting principals only for large organisations?

No. Some firms work with large global organisations, while others focus on SMEs, founders and growing teams. The right fit depends on the complexity of the problem and the level of support you need. A smaller organisation may need senior advice precisely because it does not yet have a large internal HR team.

What should I ask before hiring an HR consultancy?

Ask what the adviser thinks the real problem is, what evidence they would want, what they would deliver first and what decisions remain with your team. Also ask who will do the work day to day. Clear answers help you test fit before you commit to a large programme.

Can an HR consultant help with leadership development?

Yes. Leadership development is one common part of HR and people consulting, alongside talent management, executive search, organisation design and workforce planning. The best engagement connects development to real work, decisions and behaviour rather than treating a workshop as the whole solution.

Conclusion

HR consulting principals are most useful when they bring senior judgement to a people decision that has become difficult to see clearly. They can help a leadership team define the problem, find the right capability, redesign how work moves, or build the people practices that make growth more sustainable.

This list is a starting point, not a substitute for fit. Read the current source, compare the person's scope with your actual need and ask what practical change the work should create. A good adviser will not make your leaders less responsible. They will help your leaders see the responsibility more clearly.

The next move is small: write down the people decision your team is avoiding, then use that sentence to guide your search.

Related Reading

For practical work with leadership teams, see 25 Ways Working Genius Transforms Executive Teams, the Working Genius Model implementation guide, and 21 Practical Steps After Working Genius.

Topic-matched CTA

If your leadership team needs a practical conversation about clarity, alignment and ownership, I can help you turn the hard people question into a useful next decision. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.