Meet The Team at Penny Jones HR
At Penny Jones HR, our style is curious and supportive—we will ask you plenty of questions. We believe in collaboration and share a vested interest in your people and business’s success.
With a deep passion for HR and people, we are not afraid to explore new possibilities or make tough decisions. If we believe you’re heading in the wrong direction or taking risks, we will always be honest and provide the guidance you need.
My ultimate goal is to support businesses to create environments that their people want to be part of, focused on community and collaboration.
Let’s work together and create a workplace where your people thrive and your business can continue to grow and perform!
Penny – Founder and Director
I was introduced to the world of personnel and learning at 17 through a Saturday job with Boots, and I’ve been working in HR ever since. With over 30 years’ experience, I’ve built my career across a wide range of people-focused roles, spending the first two decades largely in the manufacturing sector.
I worked for the UK’s largest defence manufacturer, gaining experience across the full HR lifecycle – from growth and restructuring to operational HR and complex employee relations. In 2015, I founded Penny Jones HR to bring the same high-quality, pragmatic HR support typically found in large corporates to SMEs.
I’m known for my calm, practical approach and for balancing compliance with common sense. I work closely with founders, leaders and managers to help them navigate people challenges with confidence, build strong management capability, and create workplaces where people and businesses can thrive.
Laura Leach – Operations Manager
I’m Laura, a mum of two young girls with a passion for processes and organsiation.
Having practised law for 15 years I understand the importance of excellent client service, attention to detail, managing expectations and working under pressure. I love making sure our clients are looked after, emails are responded to, processes are being followed and the team knows where they are supposed to be!
When not working or running my girls around to various activities I enjoy swimming, walking in the countryside and indulging myself with a massage and spa.
Becky Horbury – HR Consultant
I’m Becky, HR Consultant at Penny Jones HR. I have worked in HR for over 10 years, and hold a CIPD level 3 qualification. During my time in the HR profession I have worked in and supported a variety of industries from the care sector to manufacturing and agriculture. I am truly passionate about what I do, with a calm and organised nature. I’m a huge lover for detail, and take great joy in checking HR documentation (e.g. contracts and employee handbooks) for not just accuracy and compliance, but to also ensure that they are truly reflective of the values and culture of a business. My calming approach allows me to have those challenging difficult conversations with employees, in order to achieve the best outcome for all involved.
Emma – HR Consultant
I’m Emma, HR Consultant at Penny Jones HR. I started my career in supply chain management and procurement, but have since spent over 8 years developing my HR skills, working in both the manufacturing sector and further education. I joined Wellington HR when I moved to Dorset. Forging and developing client relationships is what I enjoy most, and I offer clients pragmatic advice, ensuring I provide the right individualised HR support for their business. The team at Wellington HR see me as the numbers whizz, who really enjoys getting to understand the detail behind a given situation.
The Story Of The Mouse
My dad has always been a big part of my life. When he retired, he was introduced to wood turning by a neighbour. He started making these funny little wooden mice and every time we would see him he would show us his workshop and the mice.
At first they had little misshapen wooden bodies, after a time they started to take shape then he started adding leather ears and tails, each mouse is a different shape, size and colour depending on the type and feel of the wood.
When I look back, mice have always shown up in my life. As a young child there was one sleeping in my wellie (that was a bit of a shock).
I once had a whole family including babies using my gardening box as their nest in my shed.
The odd field mouse in the house – we lived in the country and I was obsessed with Brambly Hedge books and when I became a mum I bought them and read them regularly to my son.
So when it came to my branding, it was a no brainer that the mouse would be included.
There’s plenty of symbolism around mice, but my favourite is: “A mouse’s spiritual meaning represents tenacity despite challenging situations. For instance, mice may be small but they are very persistent. Even with their size, they can accomplish all sorts of things, representing their indomitable spirit and hard work.”
Just like my dad’s work perfecting the mice… and my own work in HR!