The Team
Claire Watt, Managing Director (FCIPD)
Claire is a qualified HR and training professional who is a fellow member of the CIPD. Claire has worked in HR and Training since 1994 and is highly experienced in all areas of her field.
Claire is a Psychology graduate with a Masters in Personnel and Development, qualified in Psychometric Testing (Level A and B) and an Executive Coach. Her experience spans across a variety of sectors including the professional services, retail, not-for-profit and charitable.
Claire's most recent roles have included Executive Director of People at Samaritans, responsible for all people aspects of the charity both employees and volunteers, and HR Director at the National Centre for Social Research. Claire has also written for the online HR resource, XpertHR.
Claire recently won the HRi Inspirational Indie Award for Inspiring and supporting other HR Indies and making a significant positive difference towards the HR Indies Community
Claire Watt of Ditton HR Ltd won the Small Business Leader of the Year Award at the 2023 Surrey Business Awards. Her strategic vision and effective leadership have been pivotal in driving her business forward.
Sue Ross, HR Consultant (FCIPD)
Sue is a psychology graduate and a Fellow of the CIPD with over 20 years’ experience covering the full range of HR services. Sue has worked for high profile professional service firms such as PwC, Clyde & Co, a subsidiary of Allianz global investors and more recently within a charity environment.
Sue provides effective and efficient operational and strategic support and high-quality advice and guidance to businesses on the full range of HR policies and procedures. With a proactive and enthusiastic ability to problem solve, clients have said that she is sensitive to their needs with a real commercial understanding, adding value to their business.
Sue has successfully managed an Employee Assistance Programme and Lifestyle Management Service Programme, the full graduate recruitment process including assessment centres for a high number of trainee solicitors, supported senior managers and partners to achieve best practice and change management within their business in addition to the usual day to day tasks of performance management, employee relations, training and development.
Michielle Smith, HR Consultant (MCIPD)
Michielle is a MCIPD qualified HR generalist with over 20 years’ experience across the complete HR spectrum. Michielle has worked across a number of industries from Distribution, Media Finance, Investment Banking and most recently in Retail at Marks and Spencer. These roles have taken her around the world spending a large amount of time in Asia and Europe. Michielle is available to support organisations with the full breadth of HR activities and is particularly experienced in employee relations.
Vicki Sharp, HR Consultant (MCIPD)
Vicki has worked as a senior HR generalist for over 20 years in a variety of organisations including the BBC, St Mary’s University and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Comfortable working both strategically with leaders and delivering operational HR processes, Vicki is solution focused and has a track record of building relationships and understanding organisations. Vicki brings a depth of professional expertise as well as a sense of fun and creativity to her work.
Zoe Clark, HR Consultant (MCIPD)
Zoe has been working in the HR Industry since 2006 and has worked with a wide variety of small businesses. With cross sector experience gained predominantly in Tech, Insure Tech and Insurance, Zoe is experienced in bespoke strategic solutions for shaping business through recruitment, restructure & redundancy, operational support, and metrics-based people reporting and analysis.
Zoe puts great value in creating strong personal connections to make positive impact within a short time-frame; and enjoys the opportunity to see results first hand.
Caroline Huggett, HR Consultant (MCIPD)
With over 25 years experience and MCIPD qualified, Caroline is a self-assured senior leader with a breadth of HR experience gained in financial services, public and not for profit sectors.Strong HR generalist in strategic and operational HR. Track record in employee engagement and ability to develop collaborative relationships with multiple stakeholders. Leads through action with a hands-on approach, focussing on efficiency, quality, and customer service. Brings a high level of energy and commitment to drive and support change to help senior colleagues deliver on their business objectives.
Helen Wheatley, HR Consultant (CIPD)
Helen has over 25 years of experience in Human Resources with a focus on employee relations, policy, TUPE and change programmes. Helen has experience in public and private sector, charities and organisations of all sizes and various industries. Helen has a law degreee and is also an accredited workplace mediator.
Claire Wilson, HR Advisor (CIPD)
Claire is an experienced, level 5 CIPD qualified, HR Advisor providing robust support to a range of stakeholders; HR colleagues, senior managers, the Board and wider workforce. Offering timely and accurate HR advice in a range of settings which have included global corporates to smaller businesses. A natural relationship builder, adapting to a range of requirements and expectations. Adept at working with policy, legislation and experienced in managing confidential business & HR data.
Stephanie Rough, Recruitment Specialist (MCIPD)
Chartered MCIPD qualified, Stephanie is a client-focused versatile professional with extensive experience and achievement within recruitment, talent management, customer relationship management, senior management in small businesses, HR and administration.
Having worked as a senior manager in SMEs and as a recruiter in agency recruitment for 20 years, working with private and corporate clients, Stephanie is passionate about ensuring success for her clients by supporting them in recruiting and retaining the best talent.
Kevin Churchill, Workplace & Employment Mediator (MBA, MSc)
Kevin is an accredited workplace mediator who supports businesses with mediation and conflict coaching cases. Kevin is accredited by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) and the Civil Mediation Council (CMC).
Kevin’s corporate experience is in leading and managing organisations and teams in the UK and East Africa. His career began in banking over two decades ago with the Lloyds Banking Group, followed by the Local Authority sector in London and Oxford and thereafter in international consultancy and international development most recently in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kevin has mediated a wide range of workplace and commercial disputes for public authorities, universities, businesses, suppliers and clients.
Kevin describes his mediation style as thoughtful, respectful, and carried out with care. He adopts a calm conversational approach, providing parties with the time and space to speak, listen, think and reflect upon what is being said, to find a way of working together day to day, into the future.
Emma Cowling, Employee Benefits Consultant
Emma is an Employee Benefits consultant with over 15 years' experience working with companies of all sizes from start-ups to large global organisations such as Apple.
Emma has worked in wide range of sectors including retail, technology, media and not for profit. Helping companies to build low-cost, creative, and engaging Benefits strategies that align with their company culture and business constraints. Enabling the companies to attract diverse talent and keep their team members healthy and engaged.
She has provided tailor made solutions for projects including local and international benefits audits & strategy reviews, annual renewals & benefits windows, technology implementations, and ensuring that the company has access to benefits expertise when they need it.
Julie Leach, HR & Training Consultant (CIPD)
Julie is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) and since graduating in Business Studies, has had a varied career within global Financial Services for nearly 20 years.
Her roles have included HR Consultancy, Business Management, Learning & Development, Internal Communications, Cultural Change and Event Management, many of which have included working with global teams across different cultures.
Julie spent two years living and working in Hong Kong where she was responsible for delivering the ‘people strategy’ across Asia Pacific for a global bank.
Julie is currently a freelance HR, Learning & Development and Coaching specialist with a portfolio of clients across Surrey and London and is also the founder and co-Director of Chancery Training Ltd, a training company which specialises in enhancing individual and team performance.
Katerina Rose, Performance Coach & Learning Facilitator
Characterised by an enthusiasm and energy for people development and for creating stimulating and enjoyable learning environments (including virtual) which achieve lasting business results. Katerina is a qualified Business and Master practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming (trained by both the co-founders of NLP), and now specialises in helping people achieve business and personal success in Leadership, Influencing, Sales, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, and Relationship Management. She has worked alongside Kimberley Hare one of the leading pioneers in the area of accelerated learning training.
Katerina is certified to coach Leaders in the area of Emotional Intelligence and is seen as an authority in the area of Emotional Intelligence, developing stimulating Leadership programmes with an emphasis on the practical application of this model with a number of corporations throughout the UK and abroad.
Sanjiv Dodhia, Business Coach
For over 35 years Sanjiv has helped more than 100 business owners grow sustainably profitable
enterprises that can work without them. This means working ON their businesses strategically, rather than being buried, fire-fighting in the day-to-day. Sanjiv can help business owners shape their business around the life they want, able to do what they are best at and enjoy the most.
Asha Kumar, Employment Lawyer
Ditton HR has an association with an independent employment law solicitor, Asha Kumar of Keystone Law, who is a highly experienced Employment Lawyer having worked in a City law firm for 18 years and who was promoted to partnership in 2012. Whilst specialising in employment law, she can assist in connecting people to a full array of legal services.
Asha helps individuals and corporates with all aspects of employment law. She has extensive experience in helping individuals on leaving employment and on joining new employment. She deals with workplace grievances and disciplinary matters. Her advice to companies, includes assisting start-ups, Entrepreneurs, SMEs and larger corporates in need of day-to-day employment law advice throughout the employment life-cycle from recruitment, during employment and on termination.
Emma Greggains, Occupational Psychologist
Emma is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist with twenty years of behavioural assessment and development experience; she now specialises in career management. Accredited to Level A and B in the BPS Certificate of Competence, Emma uses a wide range of psychometrics (e.g. Myers Briggs, WAVE, OPQ) for assessment from graduate to executive level. Emma has worked with clients in both the private and public sector, including Local Government, National Grid and most recently the British Olympic Swimming Team.
Emma designs bespoke assessment solutions and supports her clients to deliver them effectively. Product design experience includes competency based interviews, assessment centre exercises, assessor training materials and evaluation tools.
Emma’s particular area of interest is in supporting individuals through career transition, outplacement and clients who are exploring ways to re-enter the workplace after a career break. In partnership, she works to understand each person’s unique situation and then helps them to identify and act upon their key strengths in order to come up with a well-balanced career plan.
Johanne Penney, LLB (hons) Law - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
Johanne Penney is a senior executive leader whose work experience spans over 20 years advocating for equality and diversity. Johanne runs EDI training workshops for Ditton HR.
In 2020, after seeing a gap in education around ‘Black lives matter’ (BLM) in corporate companies and the cry for collaboration with individuals, she used the lockdown period in Covid as a reset button, realised her dreams and set up her own anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion consultancy called ‘Amp Up Your Voice’.
Johanne is unapologetic in her passion to achieve real equality for Black, minority and ethnic groups. She believes this is the time where progressive companies and individuals can collectively shift the dial and make fundamental, tangible change which is so desperately needed. Johanne runs EDI training workshops for Ditton HR.
Sam Weerasinghe - Mindfulness & Wellness Coach
Sam is a mindfulness and wellness coach with a passion for helping individuals and groups suffering from stress. As an accredited mindfulness coach, she has successfully delivered mindful based intervention courses, workshops, and retreats to many public and corporate clients. She is also a trained supervisor and mentor to fellow teachers and works in partnership with other well-being professionals offering bespoke courses and events, covering, mindfulness and nutrition, mindful movement, sleep hygiene, stress and pain management. As an accredited member of BAMBA Sam adheres to the good practice guidelines for mindfulness-based teachers in the UK.
Helen Elderfield, Governance Consultant / Executive Assistant
Helen has been working with senior executives and boards on corporate governance matters for over 20 years following a successful career in the financial services sector. Her excellent communication and organisation skills have ensured confident project management in a variety of situations including NED recruitment, board development, disciplinary investigation, organisational change, policy review and company closure.
Helen's experience spans public, private and third sector organisations from SMEs to multinationals.
Matthew Keeffe LLM, CIPD
GDPR Specialist
Matthew is a Data Protection Consultant. Having spent 25 years as a Data Protection Officer in the public/private sector and latterly with medium and large employers in the consulting, education, legal, catering and care industries. Matthew has assisted circa 285 organisations with their UK GDPR, GDPR and data protection compliance both in the UK and in some overseas jurisdictions including assistance with implementing a privacy management system, data breach management, standard contract clauses, binding corporate rules and adequacy decisions in conjunction with various data protection authorities and much more. Matthew is also a Professional Member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals.
Tracey Simons, Administrator
Tracey’s background is in marketing and communications within the financial market but she has also been a PA, exams invigilator, conference organiser, school receptionist and even set up a craft business making facemasks during the pandemic! Tracey has a post graduate diploma in marketing, masters degree in IT and speaks French and Spanish.
Tracey is a very organised, accurate and proactive administrator, supporting clients with a range of administrative work.
Alex Duggan
Health & Safety Specialist
Alex Duggan is a highly experienced Health & Safety and Sustainability Consultant. With over 30 years of experience gained both in the UK and overseas, Alex has worked across a range of diverse industries including oil and gas, manufacturing, commercial and construction in the UK and in the Middle East, Africa, and Australia.
He is experienced in conducting risk assessments, developing, and writing policies and procedures, developing customised training programmes, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Passionate about safeguarding both employees and organisational assets, Alex is dedicated to promoting a culture of safety and well-being in workplaces through proactive measures and effective communication. Ready to collaborate and support organisations in achieving their health and safety objectives.