Profile
Laura is Maynard Leigh’s Head of People and Culture, arriving in role October 2024. She is beyond proud to be part of a company that lives its values and exists to promote meaning, humanity and vitality in the workplace. We help individuals at all levels within organisations unlock their potential, and inspire greater impact; just check out our vast and varied global client base!
Laura would describe herself as a professional jack of all trades and arguably a master of none. Her career experiences have been diverse and all incredible rewarding. After graduating from Queen’s University Belfast, Laura was craving an adventure and joined the Army. She commissioned from the Royal Military Academy in 2000 and went on to have a successful 12 year military career, reaching the rank of Major. She’s led high-performing teams in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Germany, often in very complex circumstances.
After leaving the Army in 2012, Laura took up the appointment of Chief Operating Officer of what is now Forces Employment Charity. It was a privilege to promote and champion the vast and varied skill set of Forces talent to UK Plc. After three years, Laura then went on to be Head of Client Management for Maynard Leigh – and its now fantastic to be back in the company in another exciting role!
A call to the teaching profession then followed in 2017 – Laura spent three rewarding years teaching History and Politics in a very naughty school in South East London, reaching the position of Assistant Principle in charge of all things behaviour. She then had a calling back to the military charity sector and moved on to take up the appointment of Director Employment for the Officers’ Association (OA). After two fantastic years with the OA and a chance encounter at a book launch, Laura was introduced to the FTSE100 energy company, Centrica. She took up an appointment as their Head of Pathway, responsible for recruiting and developing Forces talent in the business, allowing this diversity of experience to support the company’s drive towards Net Zero. The Pathway then developed to include Olympians, Paralympians and High Performing Athletes.
She’s now back with a bang at Maynard Leigh – and it feels like she’s come home!
Outside work, Laura enjoys the gym, cooking (very) spicy food, art galleries, reggae music, theatre going, paddle boarding on the North Coast of Ireland and spending time with her superstar nephew Theo.
