Practical People Leadership for Moments That Matter

Practical People Leadership for Moments That Matter

Senior people leadership to support founders, CEOs and leadership teams through growth, change and complexity, bringing experienced judgement, clarity and practical focus when decisions really test leaders.
Senior people leadership to support founders, CEOs and leadership teams through growth, change and complexity, bringing experienced judgement, clarity and practical focus when decisions really test leaders.
Senior people leadership to support founders, CEOs and leadership teams through growth, change and complexity, bringing experienced judgement, clarity and practical focus when decisions really test leaders.

HR Leadership that is

Experienced

Flexible

Strategic

HR Leadership that is

Experienced

Flexible

Strategic

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

How We Work

How We Work

How We Work

How We Work

How We Work

How We Work

photo of dining table and chairs inside room
photo of dining table and chairs inside room
photo of dining table and chairs inside room

Senior HR leadership delivering strategic clarity, practical support, and executive-level credibility without long-term commitment.

Pay only for what you need, when you need it.

Our

Story

Our

Story

Our

Story

AdlerWoolf was formed out of a shared belief that great people leadership is about judgement, timing and trust, not rigid models or unnecessary structure. Having both spent our careers operating at senior levels across complex, fast-moving organisations, we saw the same pattern repeat: businesses don't need more HR, they need experienced people leaders who can step in at the right moments and work as true partners.

We built AdlerWoolf to bring together complementary strengths across people strategy, leadership, talent and delivery, combining rigour with warmth, deep experience and a genuinely collaborative way of working. We enjoy what we do, and we care about the impact it has.

Emma Adler Profile Photo
Emma Adler Profile Photo

Emma Adler

Emma works with leaders to shape the talent, capability and leadership needed for sustainable growth. Her background spans media, entertainment, sport and creative organisations, where she has led talent strategy through periods of change, growth and uncertainty.

She brings a values-led, thoughtful approach to leadership hiring, development and succession, helping organisations make fair, confident talent decisions that support both performance and culture. Emma is known for building trusted relationships and translating ambition into practical people outcomes. Emma is recognised for building trusted relationships across senior teams and for combining strategic insight with creative problem-solving, enabling leaders to adapt, evolve and deliver in fast-moving environments.

Simon Woolf Profile Photo
Simon Woolf Profile Photo

Simon Woolf

Simon is a senior people and leadership executive who has spent his career working alongside founders, CEOs and boards through moments of growth, transformation and change. He brings deep executive experience from global investment-led environments, creative and cultural organisations and retail, having held CHRO and board-level roles in complex international businesses.

Known for his practical judgement and commercial perspective, Simon has led large-scale organisational transformation, executive succession, leadership development and cultural integration at global scale. He enjoys working closely with leadership teams at inflection points when decisions about people, structure and leadership have a lasting impact on performance.

Together, we understand the whole people system.  From strategy and structure through to leadership, talent and delivery. We enjoy working in partnership with leaders to create real, lasting impact.

How we

work

How we

work

turned off laptop computer on top of brown wooden table

Fractional CHRO/CPO

Senior people leadership, scaled to your needs and to the rhythm of your business.

Growing and creative organisations often experience predictable pressure points across the year, when people decisions carry more weight and complexity. At these moments, experienced CHRO-level judgement can make a significant difference.

We step in as a fractional CHRO / CPO during these periods, for example:

  • Annual reward, compensation and bonus planning

  • Performance review cycles and calibration

  • Headcount planning and budgeting for the year ahead

  • Senior role design, promotions and succession decisions

  • Leadership changes or transitions

  • Board, investor or remuneration committee discussions

Alongside this, we act as a trusted partner to founders, CEOs and leadership teams, working closely with internal HR teams to complement, not disrupt, existing capability.

This model provides senior people leadership when it adds most value, without permanent overhead or long-term commitment.

turned off laptop computer on top of brown wooden table

Fractional CHRO/CPO

Senior people leadership, scaled to your needs and to the rhythm of your business.

Growing and creative organisations often experience predictable pressure points across the year, when people decisions carry more weight and complexity. At these moments, experienced CHRO-level judgement can make a significant difference.

We step in as a fractional CHRO / CPO during these periods, for example:

  • Annual reward, compensation and bonus planning

  • Performance review cycles and calibration

  • Headcount planning and budgeting for the year ahead

  • Senior role design, promotions and succession decisions

  • Leadership changes or transitions

  • Board, investor or remuneration committee discussions

Alongside this, we act as a trusted partner to founders, CEOs and leadership teams, working closely with internal HR teams to complement, not disrupt, existing capability.

This model provides senior people leadership when it adds most value, without permanent overhead or long-term commitment.

man using MacBook

Strategic Advisory

Clear, independent advice when decisions matter.

We provide senior, non-partisan thinking to help leaders navigate complexity, ambiguity and tension, particularly at moments of growth or change.

This often includes:

  • Acting as a sounding board for founders, CEOs, boards or investors

  • Advising on organisation design, growth readiness or restructuring

  • Supporting leadership team decision-making during transition or conflict

  • Providing independent perspective on culture, governance, reward or succession

  • Helping leaders weigh options and consequences before committing

man using MacBook

Strategic Advisory

Clear, independent advice when decisions matter.

We provide senior, non-partisan thinking to help leaders navigate complexity, ambiguity and tension, particularly at moments of growth or change.

This often includes:

  • Acting as a sounding board for founders, CEOs, boards or investors

  • Advising on organisation design, growth readiness or restructuring

  • Supporting leadership team decision-making during transition or conflict

  • Providing independent perspective on culture, governance, reward or succession

  • Helping leaders weigh options and consequences before committing

black and brown chairs and tables

Project-Based Support

Hands-on delivery for defined people priorities, particularly during change and transformation.

We lead discrete, high-impact projects end-to-end, allowing leadership and HR teams to stay focused on the business while complex work is handled by experienced people leaders.

Typical projects include:

  • Leading the people aspects of transformation or change programmes

  • HR systems implementations (e.g. HRIS, performance or reward systems)

  • Redesigning reward, incentive or bonus structures

  • Organisation design and restructuring as teams scale or shift

  • Supporting physical office moves or changes to ways of working

  • Sensitive leadership transitions, succession or post-change integration, requiring experienced judgement and confidentiality

  • Preparing the people agenda for investment, acquisition or exit

black and brown chairs and tables

Project-Based Support

Hands-on delivery for defined people priorities, particularly during change and transformation.

We lead discrete, high-impact projects end-to-end, allowing leadership and HR teams to stay focused on the business while complex work is handled by experienced people leaders.

Typical projects include:

  • Leading the people aspects of transformation or change programmes

  • HR systems implementations (e.g. HRIS, performance or reward systems)

  • Redesigning reward, incentive or bonus structures

  • Organisation design and restructuring as teams scale or shift

  • Supporting physical office moves or changes to ways of working

  • Sensitive leadership transitions, succession or post-change integration, requiring experienced judgement and confidentiality

  • Preparing the people agenda for investment, acquisition or exit

people sitting on chair inside building

Talent & Leadership Development

Strengthening leadership and team capability in a way that fits the business.

We help organisations build leadership capability that supports both performance and culture, without diluting what makes them distinctive.

This typically involves:

  • Diagnosing leadership capability and team effectiveness

  • Defining what good leadership looks like in the context of the business

  • Designing leadership development aligned to growth stage and ambition

  • Supporting senior hires, role transitions and succession

  • Building internal capability for the next phase

Our experience also gives clients access to a trusted network of best-in-class partners, coaches, facilitators, assessment providers and specialists, allowing them to move faster and with confidence.

Rather than starting from scratch, leaders can focus on outcomes, knowing the right expertise is in place.

people sitting on chair inside building

Talent & Leadership Development

Strengthening leadership and team capability in a way that fits the business.

We help organisations build leadership capability that supports both performance and culture, without diluting what makes them distinctive.

This typically involves:

  • Diagnosing leadership capability and team effectiveness

  • Defining what good leadership looks like in the context of the business

  • Designing leadership development aligned to growth stage and ambition

  • Supporting senior hires, role transitions and succession

  • Building internal capability for the next phase

Our experience also gives clients access to a trusted network of best-in-class partners, coaches, facilitators, assessment providers and specialists, allowing them to move faster and with confidence.

Rather than starting from scratch, leaders can focus on outcomes, knowing the right expertise is in place.

two people shaking hands in front of a laptop

Ongoing Partnership

A trusted relationship that evolves as your business grows.

Many clients work with us over time, with support flexing as needs change, advisory, delivery or leadership cover, without re-explaining context or rebuilding trust.

This often means:

  • Support through multiple growth or change phases

  • Acting as an external partner to founders, CEOs, leadership teams and HR leads

  • Shifting emphasis as priorities evolve

  • Maintaining continuity without unnecessary structure or overhead

two people shaking hands in front of a laptop

Ongoing Partnership

A trusted relationship that evolves as your business grows.

Many clients work with us over time, with support flexing as needs change, advisory, delivery or leadership cover, without re-explaining context or rebuilding trust.

This often means:

  • Support through multiple growth or change phases

  • Acting as an external partner to founders, CEOs, leadership teams and HR leads

  • Shifting emphasis as priorities evolve

  • Maintaining continuity without unnecessary structure or overhead

What Makes Us

Different

What Makes Us

Different

What Makes Us

Different

Seasoned Leadership

Led by a team with deep leadership credentials and a history of delivering results in complex, high-growth environments.

Seasoned Leadership

01

Led by a team with deep leadership credentials and a history of delivering results in complex, high-growth environments.

Seasoned Leadership

Led by a team with deep leadership credentials and a history of delivering results in complex, high-growth environments.

Award Winning

Recognised for designing and executing innovative leadership development programmes that drive real change.

Award Winning

02

Recognised for designing and executing innovative leadership development programmes that drive real change.

Award Winning

Recognised for designing and executing innovative leadership development programmes that drive real change.

Pragmatic Support

We diagnose quickly and act with clarity, ensuring your business maintains momentum at critical moments.

Pragmatic Support

03

We diagnose quickly and act with clarity, ensuring your business maintains momentum at critical moments.

Pragmatic Support

We diagnose quickly and act with clarity, ensuring your business maintains momentum at critical moments.

Independent

Our advice is non-partisan, and free from internal politics, focused solely on what moves your business forward.

Independent

04

Our advice is non-partisan, and free from internal politics, focused solely on what moves your business forward.

Independent

Our advice is non-partisan, and free from internal politics, focused solely on what moves your business forward.

Outcome-Driven

Every engagement is tailored to your business needs, measured by tangible business impact and practical results.

Outcome-Driven

04

Every engagement is tailored to your business needs, measured by tangible business impact and practical results.

Outcome-Driven

Every engagement is tailored to your business needs, measured by tangible business impact and practical results.

FAQs

FAQs

FAQs

When do organisations typically bring AdlerWoolf in?
What do you actually do and how do you work with leadership teams?
Can you lead change and transformation programmes or take on discrete projects?
How does your pricing model work?
When do organisations typically bring AdlerWoolf in?
What do you actually do and how do you work with leadership teams?
Can you lead change and transformation programmes or take on discrete projects?
How does your pricing model work?
When do organisations typically bring AdlerWoolf in?
What do you actually do and how do you work with leadership teams?
Can you lead change and transformation programmes or take on discrete projects?
How does your pricing model work?

Contact us to

grow, change, and succeed.

Contact us to

grow, change, and succeed.

Contact us to

grow, change, and succeed.

Ready to get senior people leadership that supports and complements your existing HR function?

Let's talk.

info@adlerwoolfandco.com