Our Team
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Amy Dare
Project Consultant
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Catherine Chapman
Sales and Office Administration Manager
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Claire Maynard
Head of Internal HR, Senior HR Consultant and Project Manager
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David Honour
Delivery Operations Consultant
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Fraser Silvey
Managing Director
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Geoff Bridger
Client Partner
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Jo Bristow
People Development Manager
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Jon Sleightholme
Director of Recruitment Project Partnerships
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Lucinda Barfoot-Saunt
Senior Client Partner
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Megan Byrne
HR Consultant and People Development Coordinator
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Paul Armstrong
Director of People Development
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Paul Connor
Projects Delivery Director
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Rhiannon Rowley
Outplacement and Career Transition Manager
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Sarah Pittman
Head of Client Partnerships
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Simon Milner
Director - Delivery & Operations
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Steve Foulger
Director of HR Services and Organisational Design
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Sue Foxley
Executive Coach and Senior Consultant
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Tim Kemp
Head of Executive Outplacement
Amy Dare
Project Consultant
Amy joined Connor in 2017 and provides support to our clients as part of our programme and project management team. She works closely with our clients and the team here at Connor to deliver projects to the high standards our clients expect.
In Amy’s spare time she enjoys painting, exploring and walking her dog, Flo.
Amy says:
“I joined Connor because of the diversity of the role and the calibre of people that work here. It is a great place to learn, where you have the support of a group of brilliant and passionate people. I like being part of a team where your opinions are so welcomed and valued.”
Catherine Chapman
Sales and Office Administration Manager
Cat joined Connor in 2022 and provides support to the Sales team as well as overseeing the management of our Henley office. She works across the whole team to provide a unified approach.
Cat trained as a musician and has worked in the arts and education for the past 6 years delivering outreach opportunities to underrepresented teens and working closely with musicians and students to develop educational programmes fuelled by equality, diversity and inclusion.
In her spare time Cat sings with the BBC and supports local arts venues.
Cat says,
“I joined Connor because of the strong values and ethics of the team and the business. The team are passionate about what they do and about supporting others to make a difference in their working lives.”
Claire Maynard
Head of Internal HR, Senior HR Consultant and Project Manager
Claire joined Connor in November 2019, and brings with her nearly 20 years’ experience of Change Management from HR and Operational perspectives. She spent many years in fast paced Retail and Logistics Operations, delivering national change programmes for large corporate organisations, before moving into the public sector and HR strategy.
At Connor she focuses on Project Management and is responsible for building and driving project plans, deliverables, identifying and managing risks, and reporting on progress.
Claire is a great believer that the best results are achieved by listening to our clients, implementing the most appropriate methodology and systematic approach and using in-house tools where appropriate. Taking time to understand the challenges and sensitivities surrounding the project is key to mitigate risk and deliver the plan.
In Claire’s spare time she enjoys quality time with her family and two young boys and is learning Spanish in the hope that one day she will be fluent and able to understand her bilingual children before they conspire against her!
Claire says:
“People are the most important thing to any organisation; get that right and the rest will follow. Change is inevitable, and Connor are the experts at people and change. Let us help you with that, and then you can focus on getting the job done.”
David Honour
Delivery Operations Consultant
David spent many years working as a recruitment consultant and then an outplacement consultant before joining Connor in 2014.
As a project consultant, David is a central point of contact for the clients and people we support. He is often involved from initial engagement through to completion of their outplacement service, and is passionate about ensuring that every person we support receives an exceptional experience that is tailored to their individual needs.
David spent over 15 years as a recruitment consultant and 5 years as an outplacement consultant before joining Connor in 2014. In his nine years as a freelance consultant, he provided recruitment services to clients ranging from SMEs to blue-chip organisations, as well as outplacement services to over 700 individuals referred from private organisations and government-backed programmes for unemployed professionals.
In David’s spare time, he enjoys spending quality time with his family and his two younger, children cheering them on while they’re on the football pitch!
David says:
“Customer service is everything. I am passionate about doing the right thing and making a difference to the people we support as they go through what can often be a very difficult time in their lives.”
Fraser Silvey
Managing Director
With over 25 years’ HR and consulting experience, Fraser works alongside Julia and Paul to help our clients identify how we can help their organisations to evolve and thrive through their people.
As a member of the board, Fraser also plays an active part in driving the strategic direction of the business as Connor continues on its exciting growth journey.
Before joining Connor, Fraser worked in engineering and construction companies in various roles, from heading up the recruitment function on the Channel Tunnel rail link project to managing the HR on overseas construction projects in Nigeria, Norway and Kazakhstan. Fraser has a degree in psychology and a master’s degree in criminal justice. He is also MCIPD qualified.
In his spare time, Fraser is a trustee of the Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service in Berkshire. He enjoys travelling, spending time with his family, physical challenges and all kinds of ball sports.
Fraser says:
“I have been with Connor for a long time now but there has never been more exciting time than this to be part of our amazing business. With unprecedented levels of change in the world in which we live, working for an organisation that excels at assisting individuals and organisations navigate successfully through change is a great place to be. I am really passionate about what we do and proud of the results we deliver and can’t wait to be a part of our continuing growth journey.”
Geoff Bridger
Client Partner
Geoff joined Connor in August 2022 as a Client Partner in order to get a detailed understanding of how we can best support businesses and stakeholder needs.
Geoff has a slightly unusual background, with a stint in the Royal Navy being fairly prominent in his early career, before moving into recruitment for 6 years. Geoff’s strength lies within getting to know people and what makes them tick, as well as taking time to assess what they may actually need from any situation – whether they are job-seekers or hiring managers. This enables him to gain a great insight into many professional services and ways of working.
In his spare time he likes to spend time with his wife and little girl, aswell as keeping active via the gym, cycling, hiking, cricket and golf.
Geoff says:
I really enjoy feeling excited about coming to work and building lasting relationships with my team and clients. I take enormous satisfaction from a job well done, and even more when it is achieved through team-work and good communication.
Jo Bristow
People Development Manager
Jo joined Connor in October 2018, and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the People Development centre of expertise. She is also a consultant and an accredited VoicePrint coach, designing and delivering development initiatives to organisations, teams and individuals.
She is a member of the CIPD and holds a level-5 diploma in HR management as well as a professional certificate in coaching from Henley Business School. With 20 years of commercial and operational management roles behind her, Jo brings a wealth of practical experience to her role.
Jo enjoys keeping fit by playing netball in the local league and enjoys travelling with her husband and children.
Jo Says:
“I love working with the passionate, professional and people focussed team at Connor. In the current constantly changing environment, we work with people to increase their resilience and agility so they can thrive and fulfil their potential by developing their mindset, skills and behaviours. Our Clients love the fact we tailor our content to make it relevant and bespoke to their specific environment and needs.”
Jon Sleightholme
Director of Recruitment Project Partnerships
Jon joined Connor in 2023 to head up Recruitment operations, leading the design, development, and delivery of our client solutions in this space.
Jon has spent 20 years in the people world and has held variety of senior positions during that period, including Global Talent and UK HRD roles. He has experience across the full HR cycle, however, his true passion lies in the acquiring and development of an organisation’s talent. He has worked both in house, RPO and agency positions in recruitment, which gives him a unique picture of the whole talent acquisition world.
A former international rugby player and qualified teacher, he has a passion for all things people related in an organisation. He is also a Chartered Member of CIPD.
Outside of work Jon has a passion for horse racing and thoroughbred breeding, he can regularly be seen at the stables or at racetrack on a weekend cheering home a winner. He loves all things outdoors and is a keen runner, cyclist, golfer, hiker and scuba diver when not watching his two boys play rugby.
Connor has a 30-year track record of delivering excellence to its clients and we plan to continue that as we develop our suite of recruitment solutions to our client base and beyond. I have always been passionate about what makes teams and people tick and critically how to get the very best out of those individuals. The world of recruitment and talent acquisition is changing rapidly and Connor will be at the crest of that wave of change and innovation for our clients.
Lucinda Barfoot-Saunt
Senior Client Partner
Lucinda joined Connor in October 2017, and works with key clients to help them understand and identify their HR needs.
Lucinda has significant senior-level sales experience, with a rich and diverse background from the likes of Yell to the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She has a straightforward, pragmatic approach and an impeccable eye for detail that helps her work with clients to get to the root of a problem quickly, and provide effective solutions.
In her spare time, Lucinda enjoys road trips and going to festivals with friends and family in her classic VW camper van.
Lucinda says:
“My role at Connor is varied and interesting and I am proud that clients tell me our approach is warm and engaging, that we ‘get’ where they are coming from and give honest advice.”
Megan Byrne
HR Consultant and People Development Coordinator
Megan joined Connor in 2022 after working as a People and Compliance Manager for the John Lewis Partnership for eleven years. She works closely with clients throughout the whole lifecycle of People Development projects. Megan is also a proud member of the NFP DEIB board.
Outside of work, Megan is studying for her CIPD Level 5 in People Management. She enjoys travelling, discovering new restaurants, and is the very proud owner of her dog Norman.
I couldn’t feel prouder to work for a company who mirrors my values. I have so much respect and admiration for the knowledge of my colleagues, the difference we make, and the feel of the organisation. Businesses often like to describe themselves as ‘people focused,’ but I’ve never seen this as clearly as I do at Connor.’
Paul Armstrong
Director of People Development
Paul joined Connor in September 2022 as Director of People Development, leading the design and development of our learning and coaching propositions. Paul is an experienced consultant, executive coach and leader in the learning and development space, having spent some 20 years roles improving performance in people and organisations.
He has a wealth of experience across training, apprenticeships, human resources, L&D, leadership, culture, and change. He started his career as an engineer before moving into HR. His past roles have included: Head of L&D for E.ON’s Central and Southern Europe markets, numerous roles across human resources, and more recently, as a consultant and business owner helping organisations with leadership development, academy setups, competency development, learning technology, culture change, onboarding programmes, and learning strategy.
Paul is passionate about people development, getting to the root cause of problems with clients, and developing outstanding sustainable change through people.
Paul enjoys all kinds of physical activities to keep fit including running, hiking, and the gym. He’s a keen cook, loves reading, is a mental health advocate, and a volunteer with NSPCC Childline.
I remember those moments in my career where the lightbulb went on, those learnings and experiences that helped me just see the world differently than I did before. I’ve spent the last 20 years in L&D trying to create as many of those lightbulb moments for as many people as I can. I still get a kick out of working with outstanding professionals who all have a similar outlook and are driven to see others develop, flourish, and grow. I sensed this from the moment I met the Connor team and couldn’t help but want to be a part of what they do.
Paul Connor
Projects Delivery Director
Paul established Connor in 1992 and has over 30 years’ experience in a variety of senior HR and business roles.
Paul says:
“I believe that if you set out to do the right things and if you really care about others then business success will follow. The business journey starts with integrity – do my words match my actions?
Our clients trust us and say that we are straightforward to deal with and avoid ‘consultancy speak’. We listen to what they want, deliver what we promise and have some fun along the way.”
Rhiannon Rowley
Outplacement and Career Transition Manager
Rhiannon joined Connor in 2018, and works across our Career Transition and People Development business areas. She is an experienced career consultant and enjoys supporting people through career changes, from defining and finding that ideal next role to adjusting to work following personal changes such as becoming a parent. Rhiannon also designs and delivers workshops around career change, resilience and wellbeing.
A qualified business psychologist and accredited VoicePrint coach, Rhiannon has over 15 years’ experience in delivering and managing learning and people development roles. She enjoys combining a range of tools and models along with practical, hands-on experience to ensure Connor’s career transition and development support helps people in the most effective way, geared to their individual needs.
Rhiannon has two young children and can often be found in a soft play centre when not at work.
Rhiannon says:
“People are at the heart of every decision we make at Connor, and I am proud that everything we do in career transition is designed to give maximum benefit to our clients and candidates to get them to where they want to be, as quickly as possible.”
Sarah Pittman
Head of Client Partnerships
Sarah joined Connor in July 2021 and is responsible for working with a number of our key clients. Sarah has a passion for all areas of people consulting and has spent most of her career working with organisations to design and deliver global employee experience programmes. Sarah has a 20-year people and change background, having worked for organisations such as Willis Towers Watson, Hay Group and Korn Ferry.
Sarah is a people person and enjoys entertaining at her home in Surrey. She loves travelling the world and sampling new experiences.
Sarah says:
“I am a strong believer that a positive employee experience not only builds a strong work culture, but also delivers better business results. What I love about Connor is that every service we offer is geared towards truly supporting our clients improve their performance by doing what is right by their people.”
Simon Milner
Director - Delivery & Operations
Simon joined Connor in 2016 and since then, has worked as a senior consultant and project manager on a number of large, high profile, international change projects. Simon now heads up our programme management function, looking after internal and client-facing projects and programmes. Simon has over 20 years of business and generalist HR expertise from working on complex restructuring projects like site closures through to TUPE programmes.
Simon is MCIPD qualified and has a post-graduate diploma in personnel management.
Simon says:
“I like delivering projects and providing strategic thinking. I’m also comfortable with running large projects and teams. My role at Connor enables me to do this for a range of clients and this makes it a challenging, interesting place to work.”
Steve Foulger
Director of HR Services and Organisational Design
Steve joined Connor in April 2022 to lead the Organisational Design and HR Services area of the business. He was a former client at Allpay for many years and sat on the Board and was an NED at Allpay’s sister company Rude Wines.
Steve was accountable for leading a number of functions across the ten years, including HR, learning and development, HSE, client product training, facilities, estates, legal, catering, reception, and security. With a vast array of experience across multiple industries and sectors, Steve focuses on developing commercially focused solutions that make sense for both the business and it’s people. He has delivered multiple successful change projects – from mergers and acquisitions, business sales, to transformation programmes, TUPE, and restructures.
A passionate leader, his specialisms include leading on HR strategy, restructures, mergers and acquisitions, organisational design, industrial and employee relations, change management, TUPE, consultation, engagement, resourcing, compensation and benefits, recruitment, DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging) and wellbeing.
He has led and supported teams, projects and functions in tiny businesses and huge businesses, ranging from 10 people to 70,000 people, both domestically and internationally. He has held a range of C-suite roles, Non Exec roles, bringing his passion for learning and DIEB to everything he does.
He has regularly presented and spoken at key industry events, including DisruptHR London and at the national recruitment show.
“I knew Connor really well, they had delivered brilliant outcomes for me before. Their values resonated with me, they built great relationships, cared for the end customer and it’s people. They seem primed to offer unique products and services in a fantastic way. I really felt I could help them and most importantly their customers!! I’ve been unbelievably lucky with the managers and directors I have been developed by and the opportunities they have given me. They’ve helped me to be passionate, commercial, strategic, pragmatic and develop outstanding teams that perform. I’m humbled by their confidence in me and I feel so rounded. I am hard pushed to think of an area or environment I’ve not been able to experience or influence in a business. I am delighted to start learning about a whole new world and soaking up a whole new set of experiences and opportunities.”
Sue Foxley
Executive Coach and Senior Consultant
Sue joined Connor in 2008 and has helped make the organisation what it is today. She works with our customers to shape and deliver tailored programmes, and with individuals to deliver our People Development services and Career Transition support.
She is a qualified and accomplished coach who enjoys helping people to reach their goals, and organisations to realise their people potential. She is accredited in VoicePrint, McQuaig, and Flowprofiler. She has a Diploma in Coaching Mastery.
Sue built a broad business background prior to Connor. With experience in recruitment, finance and HR, she has worked in small business, large corporates, and charities too. Most notably, she established and ran her own recruitment business for 12 years. Sue has a knack for adapting to a wide variety of working environments and people from different backgrounds, bringing an empathetic and practical approach valued by clients.
Sue is passionate about wellness and adventure; she enjoys teaching yoga, global travel, being active especially outdoors and spending time with family and friends outside of work.
Sue says:
“Making a difference to people and organisations by delivering the very best quality of care through our career transition services is what makes us tick.”
Tim Kemp
Head of Executive Outplacement
Tim joined Connor in 2019, after a career including being HR Director for Unisys and headhunting for the likes of Korn Ferry and ZRG Partners. Tim ensures that our executive outplacement service continues to lead the market in providing high-touch, high-impact bespoke outplacement support.
Tim says:
“Our clients already understand the value of our executive outplacement, prizing the opportunity to work with peer-level coaches and to receive stretching, outside-the-box coaching that helps them realise their ambitions and goals. It’s incredibly exciting to add to that with my own experiences and insights to create a service that is the envy of senior executives everywhere.”