What is fractional HR leadership?

Fractional HR leadership provides senior HR insight, challenge and guidance while staying close to the day-to-day realities of your business - without the cost of a permanent full-time hire. It's ideal for growing organisations that need more than transactional HR support.

What HR consulting services does Embers HR offer?

Embers HR Consulting offers four core services for business owners: Strategic HR Leadership, Change & Transformation, Leadership & Team Development, and HR Foundations & People Practices. Support is available across the North East and beyond.

Emma Readman is a Chartered HR and leadership professional with over 10 years' experience, including 7.5 years in senior HR leadership roles at GSK. She is a Henley Business School-educated executive coach and founder of Embers HR Consulting Ltd.

Embers HR Consulting | Fractional HR Leadership & Executive Coaching

Free People & Performance Health Check

How healthy is your people strategy?

You probably keep a close eye on your finances, customers and business performance.

But when did you last take a proper look at how your people practices are supporting your business?

Our free People & Performance Health Check takes just a few minutes and helps you identify what's working well, where there may be gaps and what deserves your attention.

Take the Free Health Check

About Me

Emma Readman

Founder, Embers HR Consulting Ltd

I'm a Chartered HR and leadership professional with over 10 years' experience helping organisations navigate growth, change and complexity through their people.

For the past 7.5 years I've worked in senior HR leadership roles within the life sciences sector at GSK, partnering with leaders through large-scale transformation, organisational change, and some of the most challenging moments in a business lifecycle.

When leaders feel confident, supported and self-aware, teams thrive – even in uncertainty.

Embers was born from a desire to work more closely with business owners and leadership teams who genuinely care about their people and want to build sustainable, high-performing organisations, without losing their humanity along the way.

My Approach

My style is warm, honest and straight-talking. I won't over-complicate things, and I won't hide behind HR jargon. Instead, I focus on what actually moves the needle: clarity, capability, confidence, connection – and ultimately, positive results for your business.

Emma Readman, Founder of Embers HR Consulting, Chartered HR Professional and Executive Coach

Why Embers?

The name reflects what I believe great leadership and HR should do – ignite potential, nurture what already exists, and create the conditions for sustained growth.

Testimonials

What Clients Say

Emma has been an outstanding HR partner throughout a significant organisational change project. She combines strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, flexing seamlessly between long-term planning and immediate operational challenges. What sets her apart is her calm, pragmatic approach and her ability to balance empathy for people with a clear understanding of business needs.

Phil Wilson Site Director, GSK

Emma has been a trusted coach and advisor to me – someone who provides honest counsel, constructive challenge, and feedback that I've deeply valued. Her communication style is exceptional: clear, compassionate, and always grounded in integrity. She helps build confidence and capability in others, particularly in developing leaders to navigate change with empathy and effectiveness.

Phil Wilson Site Director, GSK

I've had the privilege of working with Emma Readman for many years at GSK, and I can confidently say she brings a rare and brilliant combination of strategic thinking with pragmatic, accountable delivery. Emma played a pivotal role during the closure of Zinnat, maintaining engagement and performance through significant change. Her ability to balance clarity, empathy, and results made a huge difference to the team and the outcome.

Simon Forsyth Quality Director, GSK

We don't often talk about humour as a leadership asset, but when tackling serious challenges, it's invaluable, and Emma brought that in spades. It helped create a high-performing, resilient team environment during a demanding time.

Simon Forsyth Quality Director, GSK