From a stormy HR retreat in Corfu to clarity: My journey into AI and automation for HR professionals

At the beginning of September 2024, I found myself in a small room in Corfu, completely unsure about my next steps.

I had traveled there for a business retreat, desperate for clarity after struggling to grow a training business in the UK’s home care industry. Despite my best efforts, I felt stuck—people didn’t seem to value training as much as I’d hoped. I was there to figure out if I should continue in care or pivot to a more generic training model.

But as life would have it, sometimes answers come in the most unexpected ways.

Three days into the retreat, a massive storm hit, and we were all forced to take shelter in my room. The only place I could sit was on my messy bed! As we all took turns chatting about our businesses, one question cut through the noise:

“Why aren’t you focusing on AI and automation? You clearly light up when you talk about it.”

That moment hit me hard. It was as if someone had held up a mirror, showing me something I had been too busy or scared to see.

I’d always been a bit of a tech geek, even as a HR professional - trained in lean manufacturing and Six Sigma, implementing so many HRIS and LMS systems and for many years trying to streamline and automate anything that made life easlier. I had been experimenting with AI tools like ChatGPT for the last coulple of years. Five years earlier, I had even tried launching a HR Digital Academy, but I gave up, thinking the world wasn’t ready.

Suddenly, I realised that AI and automation weren’t just side interests—they were my passion.

I have spent 35 years in HR and learning and development, solving problems and streamlining processes, and AI had the potential to solve some of the biggest headaches HR professionals face today. I knew this was my path.

That night, I stayed up late, reading The One Thing and scribbling down ideas for how I could bring AI and automation to HR consultants. I didn’t have all the answers, but I decided that messy action was better than waiting for perfection. Over the next few days, with the help of wonderful friends I met on the retreat, I started sketching out a rough vision for what would become the AI Automation Dept.

When I returned home, I threw myself into this new direction. My experience in HR—working hands-on with consultants, helping businesses launch, and doing interim HR work—gave me unique insight into the pain points HR professionals deal with every day. I knew that automation wasn’t just about cutting time; it was about transforming how HR operates, allowing people to focus on strategic, people-focused work, rather than getting bogged down by repetitive tasks.

And the timing was perfect. The world was ready for AI, and so was I.

Today, my mission is clear: I want HR consultants to see that AI and automation aren’t as complicated or intimidating as they might think.

I’ve been where they are—overwhelmed, juggling endless tasks, and struggling to find time for what really matters. But with the right support, automation can unlock creativity, save hours each week, and make business processes more efficient.

I’m not just here to provide solutions—I’m here to partner with HR professionals, to help them navigate this journey together (or just get on and do it for them). Whether it’s automating everyday tasks or building custom AI tools for their business, I want them to feel confident that they’re in capable hands. And if I can’t do something, I’ll tell them—because honesty and trust are at the core of everything I do.

So, if you're feeling overwhelmed by the idea of AI and automation, don’t worry—I’ve got your back. If I can't do it, I have a select number of partners that just might be able to help too.

Let’s unlock the potential of AI for your HR consultancy, and take your business to new heights.