About The People Expert

I’m Anna Thomas, founder of AT HR Consultancy, trading as The People Expert.

I support organisations with practical, commercially focused HR consultancy, workplace mediation, coaching and leadership development. My work is centred on helping businesses manage people matters with confidence, fairness and clarity.

With over 25 years’ experience in HR across retail, manufacturing, logistics, travel, tourism and luxury service environments, I understand the realities of managing people in complex, fast-moving organisations.

Good people management is not about having all the answers. It is about creating clarity, confidence and trust when it matters most.

My Background

Before launching AT HR Consultancy, I held senior HR roles across a range of sectors, including retail, manufacturing, maritime operations and logistics.

This experience has given me a strong understanding of the balance organisations need to strike between commercial priorities, legal compliance, employee experience and effective people management.

I have supported businesses through:

• Employee relations issues
• Grievances, disciplinaries and investigations
• Organisational change and restructures
• Leadership and management development
• Workplace conflict
• Employee engagement
• Policy development and implementation
• Coaching and supporting managers through challenging situations

I know that people issues are rarely just “HR problems”. They often affect culture, performance, morale, risk, retention and leadership confidence. That is why my work focuses on practical solutions that support both the business and the people within it.

How I Work

I bring a calm, pragmatic and balanced approach.

My role is not to overcomplicate HR. It is to help you understand the issue, assess the risk, consider the people impact and take clear, confident action.

I work with organisations that need support with one-off people challenges, ongoing HR consultancy, mediation, coaching or leadership development. Whether you are dealing with a difficult employee relations matter, supporting a new manager, navigating conflict or strengthening your people practices, I provide clear guidance and practical support.

My style is supportive but honest. I will help you think through what is happening, what needs to happen next, and how to manage the situation in a way that is fair, consistent and commercially sound.

My Values

Practicality: People support should be clear, useful and grounded in the real world of work. I focus on solutions that can be applied, not theory for the sake of it.

Fairness: Good people management requires consistency, respect and sound judgement. I help organisations approach situations fairly while protecting the needs of the business.

Clarity: Managers and leaders often need confidence more than complexity. I help create clarity around expectations, decisions, conversations and next steps.

Trust: Strong working relationships are built through honest communication, reliability and respect. Whether I am supporting HR, mediation, coaching or training, trust is central to how I work.

Progress: The aim is not simply to deal with issues when they arise. It is to help organisations learn, improve and build stronger people practices for the future.

Why Work With Me?

I bring a combination of senior HR experience, practical business understanding and a calm, people-focused approach.

I understand the pressure leaders and managers face when dealing with people issues. I also understand how quickly situations can escalate when managers feel unsupported, expectations are unclear or difficult conversations are avoided.

Working with me gives you access to experienced, practical support that helps you:

• Manage people matters confidently
• Reduce risk
• Support managers
• Resolve conflict earlier
• Improve communication
• Strengthen workplace culture
• Make fair and consistent decisions
• Create better employee experiences

My work is designed to help organisations move forward with confidence.

A More Personal Note

I believe good people management should feel practical, human and clear.

Throughout my HR career, I have seen the difference it makes when managers are supported properly, conversations happen early and organisations take a thoughtful approach to their people.

That is the foundation of The People Expert.

It is about helping businesses handle people matters well, not by making HR complicated, but by making it clear, confident and useful.

Based in the Midlands, we work with organisations across the UK, providing practical HR, mediation, coaching and leadership development support both online and in person.

Book a Discovery Call

If you are looking for practical Coaching, Workplace Mediation, Training & Development or HR Support, I would be pleased to have a discovery conversation.

Book a free consultation to explore how The People Expert can support your organisation.

Whether you are developing line managers, resolving conflict, navigating change or looking for coaching support, The People Expert can help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Book a discovery call