Interim People Director & Chief People Officer | Shaping better work where
People-first leadership with commercial edge.
MEET LOUISE
I’m Louise Blake, an interim People Director and Chief People Officer working with CEOs, Boards and leadership teams to shape better work — where purpose, people and performance grow together.
Over more than 20 years, I’ve worked across financial services, education and purpose-led organisations, supporting leadership teams through growth, transformation and cultural change. Known for combining warmth with commercial focus, I bring a calm, pragmatic approach that ensures people strategy supports real organisational outcomes. fractional people director and culture transformation interim hr director and chief people officer support
My Purpose
To shape better work — where organisations perform well, people feel trusted and valued, and leadership decisions are grounded in both commercial reality and human impact.
I believe the organisations that will thrive over the coming decade are those that invest in leadership confidence, culture and capability with the same intent they apply to strategy, systems and delivery. fractional people director and culture transformation interim hr director and chief people officer support
Values - How I Lead
My values shape how I work with leaders and organisations every day:
People first, always
Performance follows experience, trust and fairness.
Commercial clarity
Clear priorities, sound judgement and delivery that matters.
Courageous honesty
Saying what needs to be said — thoughtfully and respectfully.
Belonging and inclusion
Creating environments where people can contribute and grow.
Better work, together
Shared ownership across leaders, teams and partners.
What I do
I work with organisations at moments of growth, transition or transformation — supporting CEOs and leadership teams to strengthen culture, capability and leadership confidence while maintaining clear commercial focus. My work spans:
Embedded senior People leadership (Paye/interim/permanent)
• People Director and CPO-level leadership
• Culture and organisational development
• Workforce and capability strategy
• Leadership and executive team support
• Transformation and change leadership
Strategic advisory through Evolute (project-based / outside IR35)
• Cultural transformation and organisational readiness
• Workforce planning and future skills
• Leadership capability and confidence
• Future of work and AI readiness
• Board and executive advisory
Impact & Experience
Across my career I’ve led people and culture work that has strengthened performance, improved experience and built inclusive, high-performing environments within complex and regulated organisations.
This work has been recognised externally, including:
• British HR Awards — Highly Commended
• Best Companies — 3★ World Class accreditation
• Award-winning culture and engagement outcomes within financial services
I’m known for combining warmth with commercial clarity — ensuring people strategy supports real organisational performance and long-term sustainability.
Emergence
Alongside my leadership work, I co-create Emergence — a peer-led forum bringing senior leaders together across Cumbria and the North West to explore leadership confidence, skills, AI and the future of work.
Emergence creates space for thoughtful, strategic conversation about how organisations can strengthen performance, inclusion and resilience as the world of work continues to evolve.