About Susan Blackman, HR Consultant & Strengths Coach
I'm Susan Blackman, founder of Gingerwood HR & Coaching Ltd. I work with small and medium-sized businesses across the UK to make HR straightforward, effective, and genuinely useful, not just a compliance exercise. With over 20 years of HR leadership experience across commercial, not-for-profit, and private equity-backed organisations, I've supported businesses from ten to over 3,500 employees.
Whether you need day-to-day HR support, help navigating a difficult situation, or a coaching partner to develop your leadership team, I bring the same approach: practical, honest, and built around your specific business.
My Approach
I'm a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, which means I take a strengths-based approach to everything I do, working with what people are naturally good at rather than trying to fix weaknesses. This shapes how I work with leaders, how I support teams, and how I approach HR strategy. I believe good HR should feel like a genuine partnership. I take the time to understand each business I work with, and I adapt my support to what actually makes sense for your size, sector, and stage of growth.
Experience & Qualifications
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Over 15 years of HR leadership across commercial, not-for-profit, and PE-backed organisations
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Experience supporting businesses from 10 to 3,500+ employees
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Led multi-country HR teams through complex transformations
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Gallup Certified Strengths Coach
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Specialist in M&A HR integration, employee engagement, and HR operations
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Founder of Gingerwood HR & Coaching Ltd