Strategic hr consultancy services

Portfolio HR Director

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Strategic HR Leadership, on Your Terms

Looking for senior HR expertise without the overhead of a full-time hire? Our Portfolio HR Director service gives your business access to high-level strategic HR leadership – flexibly, affordably, and when you need it most.

Whether you’re scaling, navigating change, or strengthening your people strategy, our experienced HR leaders bring commercial insight and practical action to help you move forward with confidence.

What is a Portfolio HR Director?

A Portfolio HR Director is a seasoned HR professional who works with multiple organisations, offering strategic direction, leadership support, and hands-on expertise as part of your senior team. You gain all the benefits of board-level HR experience – without the full-time commitment or cost.

We tailor the arrangement to suit your business. Whether it’s one day a week, a couple of days a month, or on a project basis, we integrate with your leadership team to provide continuity, strategic thinking and results.

Charlotte Bate

Charlotte Bate

Director with 20 years of experience in HR

When Might You Need One?

Our clients turn to us when they:

  • Are preparing for or managing rapid growth
  • Need to professionalise and scale HR operations
  • Are undergoing organisational change or restructure
  • Require expert HR input for M&A, funding rounds or leadership transitions
  • Want to improve culture, engagement, and performance at a strategic level
Case Studies

Book a Free HR Consultation

If you need access to commercial and friendly experts to chat through any HR concerns or challenges your business is facing, you have come to the right place!

Book now

What Our Portfolio HR Directors Deliver

We’re more than just advisers—we roll up our sleeves and help you get things done. With a Portfolio HR Director on board, you’ll benefit from:

  • Strategic Workforce Planning – Aligning your talent strategy with business goals
  • Organisational Design & Development – Structuring for growth, clarity, and performance
  • Leadership Coaching & Development – Strengthening your top team’s capability
  • Change & Transformation Management – Leading change that sticks
  • Culture & Engagement Strategy – Creating the environment for people to thrive
  • Risk & Compliance Oversight – Navigating complex employment matters with confidence

Embedded Expertise, Flexible Approach

Our Portfolio HR Directors operate as part of your team. We build trust, bring clarity and challenge, and help you make bold, informed decisions about your people.

You get:

  • Senior-Level Support – Without a full-time salary or long-term risk
  • A Trusted Advisor – Who understands your business and helps it grow
  • Tangible Impact – Through clear plans, meaningful outcomes, and measurable success
Book a Discovery Call

Why Work With Us?

Let’s unlock the power of strategic HR together.

Ready to Start the Conversation?

If you’re looking for a commercially minded, people-focused partner to help shape your organisation’s future, we’re here to help.

Get in touch today to learn more about how a Portfolio HR Director could support your next stage of growth.

Book a Free Discovery Call

Case Studies

Real Transformation, Real Results

Our work speaks for itself. From fast-scaling SMEs to established organisations undergoing transformation, our strategic HR consultancy has helped businesses across sectors redesign their structures, strengthen leadership, and deliver people-centred change with impact.

Take a closer look at how our tailored solutions deliver measurable outcomes.

Explore our Case Studies
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Independent Service Ratings. Read all reviews
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Invaluable Knowledge and Expertise

We have been working with Mad HR to help us with our company mission, vision, values and competencies. They have been invaluable to help us understand why these are important and really look deeply into what makes us the company that we are. Amanda and Sophie are always professional and we thoroughly enjoy working with them. Their knowledge and expertise is invaluable.

Rebecca Kelly - January 10, 2025
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Very professional service from very understanding people.

We began our collabouration with MAD-HR at a sensitive time during our company’s rapid growth, which involved a rapid expansion of the team and adjustments to roles and responsibilities within the company. The support we have had from MAD-HR has been invaluable, in particular I have appreciated them taking the time to understand us as a business and as people in order to provide meaningful and tailored support. I look forward to continuing our partnership into the future.

Kai Frolic - July 5, 2024
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HR help when you need it

As a small business we don’t have HR in-house, but that isn’t a problem because we know MAD-HR is there when we need them. With the MAD team’s help we’ve been able to professionalise and streamline our processes for our employees from onboarding onwards. MAD-HR is on-call to offer good advice on an ad hoc basis at a rate that is realistic for us, without any compromise on service.

HR help when you need it - November 11, 2025
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Excellent Service

Excellent service – professional, efficient, and always responsive. Great support whenever we need it.

Kara Aldcroft - October 30, 2025
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Tina was fantastic and took care of everything we needed!

Once again, the service was very professional! Tina was fantastic and took care of everything we needed!

- October 22, 2025
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Fantastic company to work with, highly recommended

We had an excellent experience working with Amanda, Lucy, Jo and Sarah at Mad HR. The team were professional, approachable, and gave us the confidence to handle some ongoing HR matters. They were always on hand when needed, provided clear guidance, and made what could have been a very stressful process much easier. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing expert support.

Fantastic company to work with, highly recommended - September 1, 2025
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Excellent, friendly and professional service.

The advice and service provided by Mad-hr was always very clear and professional, I worked with four members of the team and they were friendly, patient and very supportive.

Simon Rigg - September 1, 2025
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Grateful for MAD-HR’s Guidance and Expertise

MAD-HR provided comprehensive, timely guidance and support through a challenging time for myself and the business. We have now retained MAD- HR for ongoing HR support. Highly recommend both them and Amanda, our consultant.

- July 23, 2025
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Superb HR Support

Tina and team have been a huge help in establishing some key HR principles within our business. Always on hand, and with such a personable manner. Would highly recommend their service to any business looking to either establish themselves or requiring ongoing HR Support.

Simon G - June 12, 2025
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They're incredibly easy to talk to and immediately put you at ease

I’ve had the pleasure of working with MAD-HR and can confidently say their team is among the most approachable and kind I’ve encountered. They’re incredibly easy to talk to and immediately put you at ease, which makes all the difference when dealing with HR matters.

Their knowledge and professionalism are clear from the outset, and they take the time to really listen and provide practical, informed advice. If I ever had an HR issue, I would be more than happy to speak with MAD-HR again. They’re exactly the kind of people you want in your corner.

Elliott Parkinson - June 12, 2025
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Fantastic team of people who provide real value, thank you!

MAD-HR has made a real difference to the way we work. They understand what we need and have kept things super straightforward. Whether it’s a quick question or a more involved issue, the team are approachable, clear and genuinely helpful. HR feels far more manageable now with their support, and it’s reassuring to know they’re there when we need them.

Oliver - June 12, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

Useful questions and answers about MAD Portfolio Directors

What is the value of bringing in a Portfolio HR Director?

A Portfolio HR Director provides senior-level HR expertise on a flexible basis. They help shape and deliver strategic people plans, improve organisational effectiveness, and offer guidance on complex HR issues—all without the cost of a full-time executive.

Engaging a Portfolio HR Director offers access to high-level expertise and experience at a fraction of the cost of a permanent HR Director. It is ideal for businesses undergoing change, growth or needing strategic HR support without long-term commitment.

A Portfolio HR Director can lead strategic workforce planning, change management, leadership development, culture transformation, compliance, and complex employee relations. They also support organisational design and succession planning.

A Portfolio HR Director is experienced in delivering results quickly. They can assess your business needs and begin making strategic recommendations from the outset, often producing measurable outcomes within a short timeframe.

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