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About Gemma Bullivant

A tailored approach to HR

Strategic HR coaching and consulting helps HR professionals and businesses to grow and develop. 

I understand every situation is different, which is why my coaching and consulting services are bespoke, grounded in science and highly action focused.

As an HR advisor, I work with HR Managers and HR Directors, within organisations who want to create a vibrant working culture that brings out the best in their people. I focus on three key areas – Executing Coaching & Mentoring for HR professionals, Leadership and Executive Coaching for business leaders, and Reward Consulting across all aspects of Pay and Reward.

HR Executive Coaching & Mentoring Leadership & Executive Coaching HR Reward & Pay Coaching

My story & credentials

People have always fascinated me, which is why it’s no surprise that my career in People (Human Resources) spans more than 20 years. 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 ICF accredited Executive Coach, I’m here to share my skills and experiences to help you get the most out of your people, accelerate your HR career and operate more strategically, both individually and as an HR function.

My Story My Credentials Strategic Leader Podcast

How can Gemma Bullivant help you?

Learn how to grow, develop, and achieve your goals.

Discover your pathway to growth, development, and goal achievement with my variety of tailored services, which can be seamlessly blended. I strategically guide HR professionals through the full range of HR areas so you can create vibrant work cultures.

Arrange Your Free Call With Me

Coaching & Mentoring for HR Professionals

As an HR Coach and Mentor, I provide a blend of support with familiarity of the HR world, underpinned by over two decades of HR leadership experience. I have personal experience leading an HR department and delivering results.

I can coach/mentor you in both practical operational HR matters and more strategic, transformational HR initiatives.

Whether you are an experienced HR Director and CPO, or an ambitious mid-level HR professional, I can provide bespoke coaching and mentoring to suit your needs.

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Reward Consulting

A key priority in any business is pay, reward and talent management, aiming to improve the business’s performance and overall productivity among employees. 

Using my expertise and experience, I can guide your business along the full reward journey from design to implementation. 

Providing a range of resources, webinars, and consultations, I can help you establish a fair, strategic, and pragmatic approach to reward strategies. 

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Leadership Coaching

Leadership and Executive coaching helps develop individual performance and capabilities, providing an individual with a safe and positive environment to explore their specific challenges and goals. 

I believe self-awareness is our number one superpower.  I help you to truly understand your own unique leadership blueprint – your particular style, approach, strengths and motivations, so you can leverage these more effectively.

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The Strategic Leader Podcast

Launched in 2023, the Strategic Leader Podcast is tailored for busy people leaders looking to enhance their ability to make strategic decisions and tackle challenges with confidence.  

Hosted jointly by Gemma Bullivant and Fiona Craig, this podcast series offers useful insights, tools, and tips so listeners can take actionable steps towards harnessing a strategic leadership game.

View Episodes

Core Values

My core values reflect who I am and how I work.

Using a blend of humour and insights, I assist individuals in playing to their strengths. I employ honesty and empathy to guide them outside their comfort zone, fostering heightened self-awareness and facilitating tangible results. 

Check out what my clients have to say about me ->

Passionate

Central to my coaching style is a passionate belief that caring about the people within organisations is a moral obligation. I strive to provide valuable, strategic insights that will help encourage and empower individuals. My approach is rooted in compassion and valuing the people I collaborate with. I firmly believe that individuals within organisations are pivotal and 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. While my work is grounded in evidence-based psychology and research, I’m not afraid to challenge assumptions, bounce ideas, and encourage my clients to explore and learn. During my work, I strive to provide dynamic, engaging interactions filled with humour to maintain a fresh and enjoyable environment. 

Action-Orientated

Recognising the busy nature of our lives, I prioritise getting to the heart of an issue swiftly and identifying the core elements. One of my greatest strengths is my ability to simplify a complex situation, break it down, and develop a clear strategy and action plan that delivers results. With a practical, hands-on approach and a ‘can do’ mentality, I inherited a no-nonsense attitude from my Yorkshire-born mother, who had an innate ability to ‘get things done’. It seems the apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

Signs you are ready to work with an HR coach

Working with an Executive Coach can provide significant financial and non-financial benefits if you:

  • Feel you have a greater potential than you are currently expressing at work.
  • You are willing to devote time, energy, and knowledge to grow and succeed.
  • Have the solutions to the problems that everyone complains about, but your voice isn’t being heard.
  • Are being asked to accomplish responsibilities you’ve never done before, but are eager to do them.
  • Have a strong desire to put your strengths and talents to better use in your career.
  • Having trouble managing people in a team.
  • Having difficulty working efficiently or achieving the results you were expecting.

These are the signs that you are ready to work with an HR advisor and coach. Take advantage of the opportunity and advance your career by getting in touch today.

What will you get out of your investment?

The following are some of the primary advantages of utilising freelance HR consultants:

  • A thought partner with whom you can share concerns, develop big ideas, and debate key difficulties.
  • Discreet assistance in negotiating a promotion or raise.
  • Develop the courage to launch critical projects in your organisation or sector.
  • Develop the confidence to speak openly about your views and ideas in front of small and large audiences, including senior HR leaders and peers.
  • Help with navigating through difficult or conflicting work relationships.
  • Help to recognise and believe in your abilities and strengths.
  • Learn new skills and techniques to manage people within a team.
  • Support the shift in attitude and behaviour to ensure your employees deliver the necessary results.
  • Help to avoid the same professional blunders over and over.
  • Support to boost your career trajectory and your business’s growth.

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 Journey and Credentials as an HR Coach

With over 20 years of experience as an HR coach specialising in strategy, reward, and leadership coaching, I’ve had the privilege of working with HR leaders from diverse sectors and sizes, ranging from fast-growth scale up global techs, to established global professional services firms. Throughout my career, I’ve been dedicated to helping organisations unlock their full potential by nurturing their most valuable asset: their people.

Achievements:

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

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

HR Coach Certifications and Qualifications:

  • 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

 

In a rapidly evolving business landscape, staying ahead of the curve is essential. That’s why I’m committed to continuous learning and innovation, staying abreast of the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in HR and leadership development. Every step of the way, I enable my clients to succeed by embracing innovation and adaptability.

Gemma Bullivant