Who are you and what is your purpose?

I’m Lou, the Director of People here at Baltimore Consulting, and my job is to attract the best people in the market to come and work for us and to train and develop everyone in the business.

I am responsible for the culture of the business, helping to drive performance and inclusion.

What has been your greatest achievement (personal or professional)?

I am really proud to have won the Recruiter Investing in Talent award for the Most Inspirational Support Professional in 2021.

Also, in the many years I have worked in this sector, seeing so many of the people I have trained, working their way up, finding their niche and becoming experts in their fields has been a real joy to watch.

What advice would you give other leaders out there?

Adapt your style to who you’re working with. You can only do this by really knowing your team. Listen, observe, don’t manage everyone the same. They won’t respond. Know what motivates them, understand their hopes and dreams and you can then communicate with them more effectively. One size doesn’t fit all!

Who inspires you? And why?

I have found myself in more recent years being inspired by women my own age on Instagram. Normal people, with normal lives, prepared to share their stories, their ups and downs, in a public forum. Most are hugely relatable, and it makes you feel less alone. Some of these women have become huge in terms of their followers and become brands in their own right. There is one woman (Gemma Metcalfe- Beckers) who runs ‘Mutha Hood’ on Instagram, her brand ‘Strong Girls Club’ I find particularly inspiring. Building a brand for her daughter and all other Strong Girls. Love it!

Favourite Food?

I love Broccoli – I know it’s weird.

What’s your leadership superpower?

Energy! I like to think I bring fun and a smile to most days and situation, I’m naturally a high energy person (probably annoying to some!), but even on days when I feel like I have none, I pull it out the bag.