HIRE ME AS YOUR FRACTIONAL HR DIRECTOR
Hi, I’m Mandy Hamerla.
I'm a qualified and experienced HR Director (FCIPD), Leadership & Gallup Strengths Coach and Business Woman of the Year (SME Awards, Milton Keynes & Buckinghamshire).
I partner with CEOs of growing UK businesses and charities who want clear, commercial HR leadership, stronger team performance and a strong people & culture strategy, without the cost or complexity of a full-time HR Director.
If you’re ambitious, worried about HR, frustrated by team performance or spending too much time dealing with people issues, book in a free consultation and find out more about this service.
Ready to work together?
What's a Fractional HR Director
A Fractional HR Director is an experienced HR Director who works with your business part-time or on a flexible basis, rather than being employed full-time.
When you hire me, you get senior-level HR expertise, without the cost, commitment or complexity of hiring a full-time HR Director. I'll be your dedicated HR Director, partnering with you to build a high performing team and a great place to work. I work with a maximum of three companies at any one time and you’ll typically get a set number of hours each month (remote + in-person).
In practice, that means:
✔️ A trusted partner to help you make confident people decisions & lead your HR Function
✔️ Support with performance issues, leadership challenges and growth
✔️ Clear, pragmatic advice that works in the real world
It’s HR leadership when you need it, at the level you need it, without adding another full-time salary to your payroll.
How this service works
Each month/quarter we’ll prioritise what matters most, whether that’s leadership development, team dynamics, hiring, retention or improving the day-to-day HR operations. If you already have an in-house HR Assistant or Manager, I will support and mentor them too.
I’ll be a part of your leadership team and attend key meetings and I'll be your coach, sounding board, and trusted partner for all things people & culture.
CASE STUDIES
Here's a few examples of how I've helped my clients thrive.
CASE STUDY #1 - LOKULUS (Tech Company)
6 days per month
Lokulus is a growing UK tech business delivering AI-driven customer experience solutions. They needed strategic HR leadership to develop their people function, support senior leaders, and build a high-performing team.
What I delivered and the impact:
What I delivered and the impact:
- I created and implemented a people strategy aligned to business goals
- We won 3 x Best Company Awards - including Top 25 Best Tech Company to work for (nationally and all sizes)
- Boosted Employee Engagement Scores
- Hired Critical Roles - Tech, Finance & Sales.
- Designed a quarterly performance and behaviour framework for all staff, for accountability and clarity around expectations.
- Ran Leadership Training to upskill leaders
- Coached the leadership team to lead with more clarity and accountability
- Led on sensitive employee relations matters with professionalism and pace
- Reviewed and rewrote all HR policies, contracts and onboarding process
- Implemented Hi Bob HR System
- I'm currently still working with Lokulus
CONTACT INFO
CASE STUDY #2 - BEELIVERY (Tech / Retail)
8 days per month
Beelivery, a tech-driven delivery company, was scaling rapidly with a lean leadership team and no internal HR function. The COO needed strategic HR leadership to bring structure, clarity, and compliance — while also managing the complex realities of leading a remote workforce.
What I delivered and the impact:
What I delivered and the impact:
- Created a people strategy to support Beelivery's ambitious growth plans
- Helped secure Investment from Funders (they wanted reassurance of a strong leadership)
- Partnered with the Exec Team to scale the organisaton from 4 employees to 110 employees over 9 months, driving up profit and customer satisfaction.
- Set up the HR function from scratch - creating all HR policies, procedures, contracts, benefits, payroll etc.
- Implemented Bamboo HR System + ATS to recruit the right people, fast. I used values based and technical assessments to elevate a right-first-time approach.
- Led on sensitive employee relations matters with professionalism and pace
- Hired an in-house HR Manager & HR Assistant once everything was set up, who could continue to implement the People Strategy and manage the day-to-day HR work. Then I exited the company as I'd completed the brief.
CONTACT INFO
CASE STUDY #3 - MQ MENTAL HEALTH
6 days per month
MQ is a progressive mental health research charity undergoing a lot of organisational change and leadership transition. With no senior HR presence in-house, the CEO needed a trusted partner to lead on strategy, support the leadership team, and tackle people challenges with clarity and care.
What I delivered and the impact:
What I delivered and the impact:
- I was originally recruited by the CEO to create the people strategy to support growth of MQ.
- We boosted employee engagement and performance and were named one of the top places to work.
- However, the CEO sadly passed away, and I supported the Exec Team & staff to cope with the bereavement and change - and onboarding and supporting the new CEO.
- I have also lead a full Management Training Programme to drive a performance based culture, but with empathy and respect.
- Reviewed and rewrote all HR policies & contracts
- Led a benefits review and introduced some new benefits.
- I'm currently still working with MQ
CONTACT INFO
Ready to work together?
Client Love ❤️
"Mandy quickly got up to speed with Beelivery's ground-breaking and unique business model, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the current HR processes. Mandy then developed the HR strategy, enabling us to effectively recruit and retain top talent against much larger, well-known and better funded companies.
The combined results of these initiatives was the successful expansion from just 4 employees in April 2020 to 110 employees by December 2021. Mandy developed a best-in-class recruitment and onboarding process enabling, enabling the automatic screening of 1,000s of candidates for highly skilled technical positions. The excellent cultural and competency fit of successful applicants has resulted in very low staff turnover in a very comprehensive marketplace"
Paul Gott
COO - Beelivery
"Like many small companies, we didn’t fully appreciate HR. While we knew we needed the basics as an employer, we always viewed additional HR services as something that would be costly for our business. However, spending just a few hours with Mandy completely opened my eyes to why HR is just as important in a small business. Mandy has provided us with a policy package specifically tailored for our business which will support us and our employees as we grow."
Tom Marren
Managing Director
"It can be hard running a business on your own and having HR support on your side is not always the first investment you think of - but working with Mandy is amazing and worth every penny"
Jessica Rose
Founder & CEO
We are a FinTech company in advanced start up phase. Mandy has completely taken the load and thought process off me for our HR function. We need to operate at an FCA approved level, Mandy has completely satisfied our hiring process, documentation and ongoing HR function. I'm very pleased and can highly recommend Modern HR.
Mike Greenache
CEO
"Mandy is a key part of my leadership team, and has enabled Lokulus to become a top company to work for. She has led a number of cultural and people strategies and helped me deal with some tough people challenges. I can always rely on Mandy to tell me the hard truths and that only makes the business a better one.
I think she is quite unique in the HR world, as she brings innovative ideas and aligns closely to what the business needs. She is honest and always acts with integrity"
Alister Harris
CEO - Lokulus
"Mandy is amazing. So knowledgeable and helpful. She really understood the needs for my business and navigated me through the scary world of employment, which turned out to be not so scary after all!"
Hayley Hamilton-Herbert
Founder & CEO
"I worked with Mandy Hamerla for the period of two months. During this time, Mandy supported the Board
of Trustees of YMCA England, in an HR capacity, throughout a difficult and challenging period. I personally
felt very supported by her, not only through her expertise in HR, but also as someone to talk with when
complex decisions had to be made. Mandy was always available whenever needed and gave her time to
check and complete legal documents for us. It felt like we had someone holding our hand throughout the
whole process, from start to finish, and for that we are extremely grateful.
I would highly recommend Mandy, as an HR consultant, to anyone who finds themselves dealing with a
complex, difficult situation."
Nicola Hemsley
Chair of Board of Trustees
"Mandy has coached me on various areas within my business including engaging the team, disciplinary procedures, hiring my dream team and so much more. Running a business and a team can be lonely, Mandy has always made me feel that she cares as if my business was her own. Whilst giving me professional, honest advice she makes me believe in myself and the choices that I am making. Since working with Mandy I have gained a new sense of clarity and confidence for my business. It is so refreshing to work with someone that has your interests at heart and you know is always giving you the most professional, legal advice"
Michelle O'Neill
Founder & CEO
FAQS
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What is a Virtual/Fractional HR Director?
This is a freelance HR Director, who provides high-level HR expertise and leadership on a part-time or flexible basis. You get all the benefits of having a dedicated, experienced HR Director on your team without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. -
What are your credentials?
I have 20+ years experience in HR, I've worked as a Global HR Director for Corporates & Start-Ups. I have a Masters Degree in HR and I'm FCIPD Qualifed. I won SME Business Woman of the Year Award (2025) and I'm an Award Winning Leadership Mentor and Certified Gallup Strengths Coach. -
What types of businesses do you work with?
I support ambitious UK SMEs and Charities. I have experience across Tech Companies (EduTech, SciTech, Software), Retail, Professional Services, Education & Creative / Digital Agencies. -
What exactly can you help with?
I have experience with People & Culture Strategy, Team Performance Audits, HR Audits, Changing Team Culture, Restructures & Redundancies, Grievances, Sickness Absence, Disciplinaries, Leadership Training, Management Training, Recruitment, Mentoring HR Teams, HR Tech, HR Policies and Processes.
FAQS
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Can you come to my office?
Yes - I'm based in Milton Keynes, but I have clients in London, Manchester and Birmingham. -
Will I work with Mandy or someone else?
Yes. Unlike an HR agency, you’ll always work directly with me - an experienced HR expert with real-world experience. -
How much does this service cost?
I have different packages depending on your company size and goals. Please do book a consultation call and we can chat through the options to see which is best for you. -
Is there a minimum commitment?
This is a monthly retainer service, but there are no lengthy ties or commitments. It's just 30 days' notice to cancel. Most of my clients have worked with me for years - not because they have to, but because they see the value and impact of expert HR support when they need it most.
Ready to work together?
