Stacy Schapira
Tring, Hertfordshire
Summary
I’m a Chief People Officer with a track record of scaling high-growth, founder-led brands and building high-performing, values-driven cultures that enable growth and unlock value.
I partner closely with entrepreneurial CEO's and Exec teams, bringing a commercial, pragmatic approach to aligning people strategy with business outcomes. I’ve built and scaled People functions from the ground up and led transformation through periods of rapid change and growth.
Currently supporting Huel through a period of transition and preparation for sale, I’m now looking to partner with an ambitious, purpose-led brand to build and embed a high-performance culture and leadership capability for their next phase of growth.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Chief People Officer
Huel Limited
2024.10 - 2026.04
- Executive lead for global people strategy, partnering closely with the CEO and Executive team to scale culture and organisational capability in support of growth and value creation.
- Embedded a high-performance framework, strengthening accountability and driving performance through meaningful recognition and reward.
- Designed and launched a global capability strategy, including a learning and development offer with a strong focus on embedding AI.
- Drove improvements in team engagement and retention through a period of significant organisational change.
- Played a key role in preparing the business for sale, strengthening organisational readiness and supporting the people agenda through the transaction.
People Director
Warner Leisure Hotels (Blackstone)
2021.01 - 2024.07
- Board-level lead for People, Talent, L&D and Engagement across a 3,500-strong, multi-site organisation.
- Developed and delivered a three-year people strategy aligned to private equity value creation, directly supporting growth and performance objectives.
- Built leadership capability and robust succession frameworks, strengthening bench strength and reducing risk across the organisation.
- Led large-scale organisational change, including restructures and new site openings, ensuring alignment of talent, structure and strategy.
- Introduced a more data-led approach to people strategy, using insight to shape Board-level decision making and prioritisation.
UK HR Director
Caffè Nero
2018.01 - 2021.01
- Partner to the Founder and Group HRD, and a member of the Performance Board, supporting a workforce of 5,000 across an 800 site organisation.
- Transformed the HR function into a commercially focused business partnering model, aligning people strategy more closely with operational and financial performance.
- Led the evolution of employer brand and reward strategy, strengthening talent attraction, engagement and retention.
- Delivered organisation-wide transformation across, leadership and reward, enhancing capability and driving performance.
Chief People Officer
The Jamie Oliver Group
2007.01 - 2018.01
- Progressed to Chief People Officer, becoming a trusted advisor to the Founder and Executive team through a period of global growth, transformation and brand evolution.
- Built and scaled the People function from the ground up, transforming it into a strategic capability that enabled business performance and growth.
- Led the organisation through complex transformation, including CVA, restructuring and international expansion, balancing commercial outcomes with cultural integrity.
- Defined and embedded a distinctive cultural and leadership development framework, strengthening identity, capability and alignment across the business.
- Drove consistent improvements in engagement, retention and leadership effectiveness, building a resilient, high-performing team. organisation.
Education
MSc - Organisational Psychology & Business
Aston Business School
BSc - Psychology
Coventry University
Skills
- High-growth & scale-up environments
- Culture transformation & high-performance frameworks
- Executive & founder partnership
- Organisational design & transformation (M&A, TUPE, restructuring)
- Talent strategy, succession & performance driven cultures
- Learning & Development design & leadership development
- Engagement, recognition & reward
- Building and scaling People functions
- Private equity & value creation
Certification
- CIPD Advanced Diploma (Coaching & Mentoring)
- CMI Leadership & Management (Advanced Certificate)
- SHL Psychometric Testing (Level A)
- Predictive Index Practitioner
REFERENCES
References available upon request.
EARLY CAREER
Various HR roles held at MTV & Sony BMG Music
Timeline
Chief People Officer
Huel Limited
2024.10 - 2026.04
People Director
Warner Leisure Hotels (Blackstone)
2021.01 - 2024.07
UK HR Director
Caffè Nero
2018.01 - 2021.01
Chief People Officer
The Jamie Oliver Group
2007.01 - 2018.01
MSc - Organisational Psychology & Business
Aston Business School
BSc - Psychology
Coventry University