Who are River & Spark Culture Consulting?
We are a boutique people and culture consulting group focused on building diverse and thriving cultures that are fully aligned with business strategy and KPIs. We lead and support meaningful cultural change, making organisations future-fit.
Our ethos is to offer value for money while we build bespoke learning and development, diversity, culture, and people strategy packages that truly understand and reflect the businesses we are supporting. We work with organisations looking for something more than tick box or templated HR offerings, providing meaningful, transformative, and (most importantly) measurable positive cultural impact.
We have worked across multiple industries, international markets, and disciplines – from PE backed tech startups to global household names – and understand the challenges and opportunities at every stage of cultural
growth.
We have established relationships with leading apprenticeship providers, and experts in setting up successful internship and work experience programmes – partnering with charities, providing opportunities to those joining the workforce through non-traditional routes.
We tailor our support and expertise on a retainer, placement, or one-off basis, and are always open and honest about what support is best for your organisation. We also understand that creating truly inclusive cultures is based on diverse opinions, voices, and experiences so we often partner with other experts in the diversity and inclusion space.
Zoë Cotter-Morton – lead consultant
I am an award-winning senior HR and People consultant, with nearly 20 years experience in all aspects of people and culture. I am driven and passionate about creating authentic, compelling employee value propositions and purpose driven people strategies.
I have extensive experience across agency, legal, media, retail, start-ups and PE backed businesses, and the charity sector.
All my roles have had a strong focus on progressive people policies and my knowledge of differing disciplines allows me to flex fluidly to your organisational needs.
I have sat on Boards, leadership teams and ExCos and understand the multifaceted roles and pressures of business leaders.
Working across a wide variety of industries and sectors, my background has given me wider understanding of how to lead and foster cultures that are positive, profitable, and places of professional growth and psychological safety for their people.
Having worked my way up from HR Assistant to Chief People Officer, I fully understand the pressures placed on People teams, and the structures and training they need to thrive.
I have a deep understanding of start-ups and scaling quickly. I have supported PE backed organisations through a variety of funding rounds and have manged the logistics of hiring for, and setting up four new global offices within 12 months.
As well as being a member of the CIPD, I believe a knowledge of both UK and international employment law trends tell us a lot about workplace cultural trends and shifts, and I am an active member of the Employment Lawyers Association and the Industrial Law Society.
I am a qualified coach, currently undertaking my ILM Level 7 Leadership Coaching qualification. I am also a trained mediator and mentor and a member of the Corporate Research Forum.
I’m also a proud (ex-pat) Scouser, interior design aficionado and occasional house renovator, fashion, art and music obsessive gig goer, and mother of two young girls who test my mediation skills daily!
Leadership roles
- Global Chief People Officer – PGMBM (now Pogust Goodhead)
- Organisational change consultant and Head of People – Hearst UK
- HR Director – C Space (Omnicom)
- Head of HR – Freuds
- Head of HR – BBC Worldwide
- Global Head of HR – Iroko TV