Partner Article

HR consultancy director scoops prestigious award

The managing director of a well-respected HR consultancy has been bestowed with a prestigious award.

Helen Astill, of Cherington HR, was awarded HR Consulting MD of the Year 2021 (UK) in Acquisition International’s Influential Businesswoman Awards.

Cherington HR is an award-winning consultancy providing affordable and pragmatic people management services tailored to businesses of all sizes. In July this year, the company was acquired by midlands-based HR consultancy, HR Solutions, broadening the range of services available and adding additional experienced staff to be able to continue to provide excellent service to Cherington HR clients.

Having founded Cherington HR in 2006, Helen Astill has been the managing director of the Worcestershire-based business for the last 15 years. She started her career as a physics teacher, moving from there to the UK Atomic Energy Authority, initially as a trainer and then to a more organisational and consulting role, becoming the training and development manager for the UKAEA, before being appointed the personnel manager for the Fusion Research Centre and JET Project in Culham. She later moved to become the HR Manager for GKN plc’s corporate centre before setting up Cherington HR. Knowing first-hand how difficult it can be to achieve enterprise growth when dealing with the details of managing a company, Helen and the Cherington HR team grant its clients peace of mind by giving them practical HR support, advice, and support whilst solving their critical people problems and overcoming challenges. Fundamentally, this has proven pivotal over the past 18 months. Due to Helen’s hard work and tenacity, Cherington HR has enjoyed a 95% client retention rate this year, despite the pandemic, as she consistently takes the business and its clients to bigger and better heights of success. Helen Astill, Managing Director at Cherington HR, said: “I am honoured to have been named the HR Consulting MD of the Year. It is very humbling to have been chosen for this award, especially in a year when the pandemic has meant that clients have needed so much extra support for their businesses to survive and thrive..”

Greg Guilford, CEO of HR Solutions, added: “Helen Astill is an exceptional HR professional and I am not surprised at all that she has been recognised with this amazing award. We are delighted to have Helen as part of our HR Solutions family and congratulate her on this impressive success.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Jones .