A Stoke-on-Trent leadership consultant who has led system and team level transformation in both large government departments and the private sector has now turned her focus on leadership in the business world, including those in her home area of North Staffordshire.
HW Leadership Consultancy founder Heather Whitehead, a psychologist and former Prison Group Director in HM Prisons and Probation Service, is now working with companies from small Staffordshire SMEs to large corporate bodies.
“Through my career, I have acquired a lot of high level leadership experience and, while I love working with large organisations, I want to be able to pass on my experiences and skills to business leaders in Staffordshire,” said Heather.
“I’m originally from Blurton and went to the local high school. I have always lived in the area and now I’m keen to give back.”
“Founding HW Consultancy allows me to support businesses in my home area and I have gained support through the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and the Growth Hub to help facilitate that.
“I can work one-on-one with business owners and with their senior teams to build leadership capacity. One key facet of my work is to gain a deep understanding of each leaders’ strengths and challenges and work from there to develop strategies, set goals, assess potential conflicts, to build resilience and success.
“As an experienced Executive Leader I combine my training in understanding how people think and behave, with my first hand experience leading in complex sectors and under significant pressure to support my clients to overcome their challenges”
Heather has been working with North Staffordshire based company, Crystal Klean. Owner Claire Gilbert has presided over rapid growth leading to challenges as she has introduced team leaders into the business.
Claire said: “My business has grown rapidly and, as a result, I had a need to get support for my team leaders. I have found working with Heather to be effortless, she is an excellent communicator with an ability to assess what is needed from our Crystal Klean leaders and to provide advice to inspire and provide the skills they need.
“The passion is there in our team, but it needed Heather to come in and provide my team with structure and a strategy to lead. She helps our team to understand how to visualise goals and to lead as we grow.”
Heather also works with the award-winning Chelsea Spencer, Managing Director of Big Reputation marketing. When asked about Heather’s leadership coaching, Chelsea who was recognised with the Start-Up and Step-Up ward at the 2025 Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, said: “heather has been a huge support as I have grown a team of four in just nine months. She has helped me to find my feet as a leader, built structure behind the scenes, and to lead with more clarity and confidence. Heather just gets the reality of growing a business and managing people.”
Heather has a degree in Psychology and Criminology from Keele University and a Masters Degree in Criminological Psychology from Birmingham University. She led psychological services in prisons, before going forward into prison governor and group director roles, advising senior prison leaders and ministers.
Please go online to www.hwleadershipconsultancy.co.uk to find out more about HW Leadership Consultancy
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