Our Team

Laura is a highly skilled and accomplished professional, known for her expertise in Employment Law, HR, and Mediation. Since establishing The Affable Partnership in August 2011, Laura has cultivated an impressive track record of success, helping numerous organisations navigate complex matters. The founder of The Affable Partnership, she brings a unique blend of legal knowledge and interpersonal skills to provide exceptional services to her clients. With a remarkable ability to seamlessly integrate herself into any business environment, Laura ensures that her clients receive a top-tier experience tailored to their specific needs.

Kara works alongside Laura, assisting with marketing, administration, organisation and making sure The Affable Partnership house remains 'in order'.

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Kara comes from a career in business management, mainly within the Hospitality sector.  This has given her a comprehensive understanding of HR needs, both from an employer's perspective, but also as an employee.  Kara facilitated Management training courses in her role as a Hotel General Manager and is enjoying continuing this role under The Affable Partnership umbrella.  Customer relations, efficient operations, marketing and finance were also skills Kara gained as a Hotel Manager, all of which have helped her become an integral part of Laura's business. ​​​

Phil is a training management specialist with over 33 years experience, from 28 years service in the Royal Navy and, thereafter, gaining broader people operations insight as Head of HR within a SME. People and their skills are the reason businesses exist and succeed, hence Phil's passion for people, their training and development.

He is able to support clients across the full spectrum of training, including audits, training analysis and requirements setting to address performance gaps, workforce development and upskilling. Additionally, he is able to provide training and people risk analysis, identifying single points of failure and flight risks, to improve business outcomes.

Phil's skills also extend to recruitment and selection, employee engagement and retention strategies. He is a real advocate for good leadership in business at all levels and is able to facilitate training, mentoring and coaching.

Bryan is a long standing member of the team and is a Business Process Improvement Consultant and Six Sigma Master Black Belt with over 25 years’ experience. He delivers hands-on LEAN, Six Sigma, and problem-solving support through training and workshops. Since 2021, he has helped a North American media company train 700+ candidates, delivering $16M+ in savings. Previously, he spent 35 years at Ford in technical and leadership roles focused on quality, engineering, and production.

Patrick is the founder of Melville Mental Solutions, where he brings a unique mix of commercial experience and personal resilience to his mental health work. With a background spanning 15 sectors including law, marketing, and tech, he now helps organisations build mental wellbeing through training, workshops, and one-to-one support. After overcoming stage 4 brain cancer, Patrick became a certified Mental Health First Aid instructor, dedicated to reducing stigma and promoting lasting cultural change. A former cricketer for Peru and trained lay preacher, he brings energy and empathy to everything he does.

Jen is an experienced Nutrition Coach who specialises in improving the wellbeing culture within organisations by providing engaging and relatable nutrition workshops.  What and when we eat changes how we experience every single day by affecting our energy levels, cognitive function, stress resilience, immunity and long term health outcomes.  Educating and reframing the way we think about food coupled with some 'real world' solutions for busy people can make a massive impact.  Jen delivers workshops that coach employees within manual, mobile, sedentary or stressful roles.  Jen is also a certified menopause coach facilitating a specific workshop on Nutrition for Hormone Health.  

Sophie works with organisations to ensure that both employees and employers are fully supported when it comes to menopause. This can benefit employers by reducing the costs involved with members of staff leaving, going part-time, increased sickness levels or tribunals related to menopause. She believes that by being proactive in this area, we will create more menopause inclusive environments where all staff feel equipped to manage open conversations and feel comfortable enough to have them. Sophie is passionate about supporting the local community. She runs support groups, talks and workshops to share her lived experience and knowledge to help women advocate for their own health.

Nicola brings over 25 years of senior leadership experience in construction, facilities management, and operations, specialising in health and safety management. A NEBOSH-qualified professional, she works with businesses across the UK to create practical, sustainable safety frameworks that protect people and support growth. Nicola helps SMEs navigate complex regulations by developing clear policies, delivering audits, and providing ongoing advisory support, giving business owners confidence and peace of mind.

Ray helps business owners gain confidence in the agreements they rely on. Whether you need a bespoke contract drafted, an existing agreement reviewed, or clarity on what your current documents actually mean, Ray make sure your contracts do exactly what you need them to do, protect you and your business.

Ray’s goal is simple: to give you peace of mind so you can focus on growing your business, knowing your agreements are clear, robust and enforceable.

Maddie is our HR Cloud Software specialist, offering comprehensive support to our clients while also nurturing positive workplace culture in SMEs. With a keen eye for detail and deep software expertise, she works closely with clients, ensuring they maximise potential for streamlining processes. Maddie goes beyond solving technical issues, she helps businesses manage HR more efficiently while fostering an environment that sparks innovation and enhances employee satisfaction. Recognising that the software is a catalyst for positive change within companies, Maddie takes a holistic approach, considering not only the technical aspects but the broader impact on a company's success and workforce well-being.

David brings over 40 years of experience in the construction industry, including three decades at Director level, where he built a track record of leading teams to secure complex, high-value contracts.  Since founding Win That Contract in 2003, he has developed his proven Elite Bidders System, helping contractors, consultants and specialists consistently outperform industry tender success rates - achieving 66% success for projects and 90% for framework bids.  David has worked on both sides of procurement, giving him unique insight into what clients look for and how to create winning submissions. Known for his strategic approach, persuasive writing and ability to turn underdog bidders into top scorers, he continues to support businesses in securing critical contracts and driving sustainable growth.