Kiran Kundra

• Delivered hands-on HR support within a regulated financial services environment (170 employees).
• Partnered closely with the COO, supporting governance and board reporting.
• Owned payroll and benefits administration in collaboration with an external provider.
• Led HRIS optimisation and supported remuneration review activity.
• Implemented structured probation and development workflows.

• Developed and delivered a People & Culture strategy aligned with the firm’s long-term direction, professional standards and growth ambitions within a regulated, design-led environment.
• Managed bi-annual promotion, remuneration and bonus review cycles in partnership with Group Directors, ensuring fairness, consistency and timely delivery across all studios.
• Led TUPE processes linked to acquisitions, supporting the seamless integration of new studios and employees while protecting culture, engagement and compliance.
• Built leadership capability across studios by providing practical HR guidance and coaching, supporting managers to handle performance, wellbeing and difficult conversations with confidence.
• Collaborated closely with the Head of Operations to design and implement learning and development initiatives, including a mentoring programme to strengthen capability and encourage cross-studio collaboration.
• Designed wellbeing initiatives to support mental health and sustainable performance, including introducing flexible working practices.
• Oversaw and championed DE&I initiatives, delivering workshops, providing board-level updates and actively contributing to DE&I and ESG steering groups.
• Played a key role in embedding a consistent people approach across a decentralised, multi-site organisation while respecting studio autonomy and professional identity.

• Developed and delivered the People & Culture and talent strategy, aligning workforce planning, organisational design and leadership capability with commercial objectives.
• Defined and embedded a clear People & Culture vision, supporting change programmes that contributed to a 50% reduction in employee turnover in 2023.
• Led workforce planning, talent forecasting and succession planning, resulting in 30% of roles being filled through internal promotion.
• Owned HRIS strategy and optimisation, implementing an ATS and reward platform to improve data integrity, insight and decision-making.
• Reviewed and enhanced reward and benefits frameworks to maintain market competitiveness, contributing to a significant uplift in employee satisfaction within key areas of the business.
• Supported international expansion by establishing compliant people frameworks for new offices in Sweden and Japan, providing ongoing HR leadership across both locations.
• Ensured people governance aligned with ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 standards.
• Managed and developed the HR and Talent team, supporting capability growth, progression and succession.

Key achievement: Transformed HR into a strategic business partner, strengthening retention, leadership capability and organisational effectiveness during a period of growth and change.

• Acted as the primary HR partner to senior leaders, advising on performance, engagement, employee relations and organisational change.
• Managed the business through COVID-19 transformation, embedding new ways of working and supporting leaders through uncertainty.
• Developed and implemented key people policies, including hybrid working and revised health and safety frameworks.
• Reported into the board and attended monthly account reviews, presenting people data, risks, priorities and proposed initiatives.
• Conducted exit interview and analysed feedback to identify retention risks.
• Designed and delivered engagement surveys, translating insight into targeted action plans.
• Began leading and developing the HR team, laying foundations for future growth of the function.

• Delivered operational HR support across the employee lifecycle in a scaling organisation.
• Supported recruitment, onboarding, HR data management and employee queries.
• Ensured compliance with right-to-work and sponsorship requirements.