Our advisory team

Our advisory team possesses a broad range of experience across all sectors including:

• finance and banking
• technology
• manufacturing and production
• healthcare
• transport and distribution
• accountancy
• broadcasting
• hospitality
• retail
• voluntary

within both the public and private sectors, and within both unionised and non-unionised environments of all sizes. Our HR Advisors are all MCIPD qualified, with practical experience of "hands-on" HR work at manager level or higher, and pride themselves on their ability to give pragmatic, practical and business-focused answers to your queries.

Our advisory team includes:

Alison Blackhurst, Chartered Member CIPD - Senior advisor

Prior to joining us Alison spent seven years working as a self-employed consultant providing a full generalist service to SMEs, including advising on employment policies, contracts, disciplinary matters and new employment legislation. Alison previously held a number of HR management positions in personnel and training within a blue-chip unionised food manufacturing company, an accountancy firm and the BBC.

Since joining BusinessHR in 2001, Alison has undertaken a wide range of consulting projects including conducting a large number of HR audits and subsequently creating HR policies and procedures for the clients. Other assignments have included supporting clients who are undertaking redundancies and restructuring. Alison also acts as an outsourced HR resource for a medium sized accounting firm and its clients and has conducted a range of management and employment law seminars.

Sue Watson, Chartered Member CIPD - Senior advisor

Sue held HR roles in a manufacturing company for fourteen years before she joined our team, and prior to that provided HR support for the Royal Northern College of Music. Offering broad HR advice to both senior and site management, Sue has extensive knowledge of employment law, disciplinary procedures and the introduction of new terms and conditions, as well as experience in conducting negotiations with recognised unions in respect of pay awards, and in dealing with management/unions re TUPE negotiations. In addition, Sue has set up several HR databases and has experience in managing payroll systems.

Since joining BusinessHR, Sue has undertaken a range of consulting projects for our clients. These projects have included: carrying out a large number of HR audits, creating bespoke HR policies and procedures for client's HR intranets, conducting assessment/development centres for recruitment, redundancy selection and restructuring, and conducting seminars for managers on a range of HR topics. In addition, Sue managed an outsourced recruitment operation for a major "not-for-profit" organisation.

Abi Ashford, Chartered Member CIPD - Advisor

Abi joined the BusinessHR team of advisors in June 2006. Prior to this her HR experience has been gained within the automotive and aircraft manufacturing industry. Abi's knowledge and experience, developed over ten years, spans the HR and training and development field. Experience gained as an HR Manager and also Strategic Resourcing Manager includes managing large scale resourcing programmes, implementing flexible working practices, managing change projects and also managing exit strategies for senior staff.

Carol Hatcliffe, Chartered Fellow CIPD - Advisor

Carol, who joined BusinessHR in November 2008, has an MA in Strategic Human Resource Management and over 20 years' operational experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Previous responsbilities have included Human Resources, Training and Development, Health and Safety, Volunteers, Facilities Management, Insurances and running a busy department for a national charity. Carol also works as an independent consultant working on recruitment and redundancy programmes, reorganisation, team and management development and one to one coaching.

Joanne Moss, Chartered Member CIPD - Advisor

Joanne joined the BusinessHR team in April 2008, bringing with her extensive experience in providing a customer focussed and commercially aware employment law/HR advisory service to motor dealerships across the UK. Joanne has significant experience in supporting managers dealing with disciplinary and grievance hearings, dismissals, TUPE transfers, redundancy and restructuring processes, and has also designed and delivered ad hoc seminars and training events across the UK.

Tracey Riley, Chartered Member CIPD - Advisor

Claire Rogers, Chartered Member CIPD - Advisor

Sue Rumsby, Chartered Fellow CIPD - Advisor

Sue joined the BusinessHR advisory team in July 2008. She has a MA degree in Human Resource Management and over 25 years' experience working within a HR environment in a number of sectors including engineering, public sector and voluntary sector. More recently she has been employed as a senior manager with overall responsibility for Human Resources, Training and Development and Health and Safety within a local charity and has a wealth of experience in the provision of pragmatic HR advice to small organisations. Sue has also been involved in major change management, restructuring and strategic human resource management.

Our advisors handle our helpline calls and contribute to our website content, which is reviewed, expanded and updated on a regular basis. They also prepare our monthly newsletter, which can be received if you register and hot topics.