Meet the Founder
Nicky Ingham
Nicky has over 30 years’ experience working across acute organisations in a variety of workforce roles. She has 15 years as an NHS Executive Director of Workforce and OD and has significant experience in leading organisational transformation, change programmes, developing organisational models, organisational turnaround, development of strategy and underpinning strategic engagement and communications strategies.
Nicky is adept at providing constructive challenge and being a critical friend to support transition, both on an individual and team level.
Alongside her board level experience, Nicky can quickly grasp the strategic, operational and organisational issues involved in an organisation. Through her leadership and implementation of cultural change programmes, Nicky provides a holistic approach to transformation, using her unique style and partnership approach, to best effect ensuring ownership at all levels.
With her strong leadership skills and experience, Nicky is agile and passionate about supporting others to realise their full potential and inspire change in themselves and for themselves. She is an experienced coach and mentor to a broad range of stakeholders, from board level to grassroots staff, and her approach is refreshing, vibrant and forward thinking.
Key skills & experience:
- Mediation
- Executive coaching / mentoring
- Coach supervision
- Staff engagement
- Transformational culture change
- Board / team development
- Chief People Officer
- Corporate Executive Director
- Leadership development
- Strategy development
- Engagement and communication
Helen Farrington
Lead Associate
For over 30 years, Helen has worked in a variety of organisations in primarily workforce, organisation and learning and development roles. She has 10 years’ Board level and senior leadership experience within the NHS and a proven record of strong collaboration and improving performance through developing and delivering people strategies and all aspects of organisational development (OD); including achieving transformation and culture change in complex settings with a diverse workforce.
Helen has led extensive organisation redesigns and OD programmes, pivotal in delivering better health and social care services. She led on the design and delivery of workforce, OD and culture plans for the successful merger of nine hospitals and community services in Manchester; a new organisation design and culture change programme to deliver mental health, learning disability, autism and community services across integrated care partnerships and organisation redesign and culture transformation programme to deliver SOF3 exit plans and the strategic sustainability of a London based Trust.
Helen has excellent capabilities in engaging and building relationships with individuals that instil trust and confidence. As a result, she has an impressive track record of effecting positive change often against a backdrop of complex and challenging organisational and culture change. Helen is passionate about supporting staff at every level to live the NHS and broader public sector values.
Helen spent the early part of her NHS career as an OD and L&D Practitioner and Manager and prior to joining the NHS she worked in advertising and marketing in the UK and in the USA and as the Development Manager for an Alcohol and Drug Service in Staffordshire.
Key skills & experience:
- Transformational Culture Change
- Organisation Development
- Organisation design
- People and OD strategy development and delivery
- Leadership and Management Development
- Team coaching and development
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Staff Engagement
- Board/Team Development
- Corporate Director
Tracy Hill
Lead Associate
Tracy has over 30 years’ experience working in the NHS, with nine years as an Executive Director. She has experience across acute, mental health and community Trusts, and Integrated Health and Care Systems, and has twice been awarded ‘NHS North West HR Director of the Year’.
Previously she worked for seven years in the Private Sector.
Tracy is recognised as a strong leader with a personal style built on trust, openness and integrity; and for bringing a calm, consistent and settling influence in pressured circumstances.
She is skilled in developing strategic vision for future service delivery across health and social care systems, alongside leading significant programmes of service improvement, whilst developing Board and team cohesion. She has led the acquisition of NHS Trust services by two NHS Provider Trusts, resulting in the safe transfer and future sustainability of quality services to patients, and more recently as an ICS Chief People Officer, has driven a successful System wide programme of workforce Transformation.
People matters have always been at the heart of what Tracy does well. She has successfully led major programmes of cultural transformation working in partnership with private and academic institutions gaining National and International acclaim and recognition.
As a qualified Coach and Coaching Supervisor Tracy has supported the development of others across a broad range of roles, from Board level to grass roots. Her approach is honest and genuine and often focusses on behavioural transformation.
Key skills:
- Board/Team cohesion and performance
- Executive Coaching/Mentoring
- Coaching Supervisor
- Qualified Mediator
- Strategy Development
- Organisational culture change
- Organisational merger/acquisition
Jane Adams
Senior Associate
Jane has over 20 years’ experience working within the NHS and with NHS organisations in a variety of workforce/OD roles.
Jane is a highly motivated and practical OD specialist, experienced business coach and qualified mediator. She has well developed skills with a particular emphasis on leadership, change management, performance improvement and conflict resolution for individuals and teams.
Jane has performed at a senior level within the NHS taking on Deputy and Associate Director roles within a range of complex NHS organisations working on a variety of specific interventions/roles, supporting organisational performance improvement alongside team and individual performance improvement.
Clients have included various Acute, Mental Health and Specialist Hospital NHS Trusts. Outside of the NHS, Jane has also worked with Healthcare organisations in the registered charity sector.
Key skills:
- Specialist OD Experience at a senior level within a variety of healthcare settings
- Executive Coaching/Mentoring
- Mediation and conflict resolution
- Assessment/Development centre design and facilitation.
- Staff Engagement
- Supporting the management of change in challenging times
- Board/Team Development
- 360 feedback with senior medical staff, Board Directors and Senior Managers
Ismail Hafeji
Senior Associate
A strategic and operational Director of Finance with over 14 years of Board level experience with an outstanding track record of implementing financial strategies, delivering statutory duties, and building organisational resilience. Ismail has worked in all levels of NHS Finance in his 36-year career. He has an excellent understanding of health systems having operated as a Commissioner, Provider and at regional level. He is respected and recognised across the North West NHS finance community for leading change and setting strategic direction.
Ismail was Director of Finance and IM&T for Bolton PCT before joining Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust. He played a major role in the Trust’s successful acquisition of Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust. The financial strategy underpinning the bid was highly commended by the Regulators and Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group. He also led the two-year programme to implement the electronic Patient Administration System.
Ismail has an engaging personal style with highly developed communication skills and the ability to rise to a challenge. Continually striving for quality improvement, he is confident and skilled in developing relationships with clinicians and managing stakeholders to build effective partnerships. Ismail has a philosophy of developing and empowering teams. He is a strong supporter of staff development having been a NW Leadership Academy mentor and coach.
Key skills:
- Financial Strategy
- Coaching/Mentoring
- Organisational merger/acquisition
- Facilitation
Sue Whittam
Senior Associate
With over 40 years of experience Sue offers an extensive range of specialist skills which enable people at all levels of an organisation to deliver excellence in patient care. She is a qualified clinical, educational and HR/OD professional and coach and has held several senior positions in acute care organisations.
Sue was nationally recognised as the first OD Superstar by NHS Employers for her work on culture, values and staff engagement and it is this approach which enables the delivery of demonstrable returns on investment, exceeding performance expectations, within complex and challenging environments.
Sue’s expertise lies in being able to quickly identify people effectiveness issues at all levels that are impacting on performance and subsequently build and deliver bespoke practical and timely solutions. She is a trained coach and mentor and licensed psychometric practitioner.
As an independent consultant Sue has a portfolio of highly successful assignments providing bespoke solutions for a range of organisations within and beyond the health and social care settings.
Key skills:
- Executive Coaching/Mentoring
- Bespoke OD intervention design and delivery
- Staff Engagement
- Culture Change
- Board/Team Development
- Lean/Improvement Methodologies
- Leadership Development
- Strategy Development
- Author
Nicole Williams
Senior Associate
An experienced Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Chartered Coaching Psychologist with over 15 years in OD and organisational psychology. Her career has focused on driving culture change and enhancing organisational effectiveness across diverse sectors, notably within the NHS.
Nicole has collaborated extensively with NHS Trust services and departments, conducting comprehensive culture diagnostics and providing actionable recommendations that have led to measurable improvements. As a psychologist, she applies a rigorous, evidence-based approach to tailor interventions that address specific organisational needs and challenges.
In addition, Nicole’s portfolio includes designing impactful staff engagement and well-being programmes, facilitating leadership development initiatives, delivering cognitive behavioural coaching to support career progression and leadership effectiveness, and utilising personality profiling for assessment and development purposes.
She is known for her ability to navigate complex people dynamics, identify underlying cultural issues, and deliver ethical, evidence-based solutions that align with client objectives. Her experience extends from frontline teams to board-level executives, establishing trusted relationships with stakeholders at all levels. Nicole is recognised for her pragmatic approach and commitment to delivering impactful solutions rooted in psychological science and best practices.
Key skills:
- Culture Diagnostics
- Staff Engagement and Wellbeing
- Cognitive Behavioural Coaching
- Career/Leadership/Executive Coaching
- Psychometric Testing for assessment and development
- Team & Leadership Development
Emma Schofield
Senior Associate
Emma’s approach is values-driven, focusing on cultivating cultures that are not only productive and inclusive but also places where talent thrives, and team well-being is a priority.
As a Leadership Consultant and Coach, Emma champions authentic, people-centred leadership. She understands its transformative effect on organisational culture and decision-making, right from boardrooms to the overall company ethos.
She has over two decades of experience working in HR, Organisational Development (OD), and senior leadership roles across the private and public sectors. She has spent at least 15 years working within and across the NHS. Emma’s expertise is both broad and deep.
Emma’s achievements include design and leadership of companywide culture change programmes working with the executive team to leading HR and OD teams through transformative change. These programmes have yielded substantial financial savings, reduced absenteeism, and heightened engagement across the company.
Emma also served as the Vice Chair of a UK College Group’s board for 4 years; a testament to her leadership skills, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the People Strategy and was proud to see the Ofsted inspection team deem the college group ‘Outstanding’.
A lifelong learner, Emma is an avid reader of all things business, psychology, and self-development.
Key skills:
- Exceptional interpersonal skills
- Cultivates a deep understanding of business challenges
- Skilled at diagnosing underlying issues
- Continuous improvement mindset
- Natural coaching style
- Facilitates positive change
- Visualises the bigger picture
- Leadership and team development
- Engagement and well-being strategy
- Business and financial acumen