Meet the Team

We are the only HR franchise to have a dedicated central office team, who are there to support our Licensees from the initial set up and ongoing running of their business. The HR Dept is a family business at heart and our support team have been chosen for their specific areas of expertise, including business development, operational, legal, finance and marketing.

Sue founded The HR Dept in 2002, two years later franchised the model and grew it into the success it is today. The original Bristol office is now staffed with a team of 15+ and the Licensee network covers the whole of the UK and Ireland. Sue is an experienced and commercially aware HR professional. Sue stepped down as CEO in 2021, appointing Keith Sadler the position as she transitioned the business to an Employee Ownership Trust. However, she is still a great a source of advice and professional support for the network as well as their ever-growing client base.

Keith was appointed as CEO of The HR Dept Trust Ltd in 2021 after being a non-executive director of the company for several years. Keith has over 30 years’ experience in Corporate Finance and was responsible for a number of high-level M&A deals across the media sector in the 2000s. Keith was chief financial officer of News Communication & Media plc, which was acquired by Gannett U.K. Limited for £444 million, and The Wireless Group Plc, which sold to UTV Media plc for £100 million. He has held several positions, from Chief Financial Officer to Group Finance Director for companies including, WEARE 2020 plc and Dods Group PLC. Keith is currently the non-executive director and chairman of the audit committee, of three AIM listed companies, being Silver Bullet Data Services PLC, Warpaint plc and Hawkwing Plc. Keith is a chartered accountant and holds an honours degree in economics from the University of Kent at Canterbury.

Mike has been with The HR Dept since the very start and has driven the growth of the brand and its products and services for many years. He was attracted to The HR Dept because for once HR was acting as a business support service and not a hindrance. Mike is now a Director and helps to oversee the finances of The HR Dept and supports business development.

As Managing Director Felicity’s role is to develop and execute business strategies for The HR Dept franchise. She is also responsible for reviewing business systems, processes and services to ensure our offering continually supports the operations of licensees.  Felicity has more than 10 years’ Marketing and Business Development experience from roles held within both corporate and SME businesses. Felicity is also an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and is passionate about supporting our licensees to grow their business through Marketing.  

Lian’s role is to oversee all the financial activity of The HR Dept Group Ltd, alongside administrating the financial activities for our Bristol franchise. With 12 years’ financial experience across various industries, working for several companies including the Ministry of Defence, Lian strives to deliver a high-quality service across our network and is currently also studying to become a chartered accountant.