HR Transformation & Executive Talent Consultancy

People strategy that moves the needle

20+ years partnering with CEOs, boards, and PE sponsors to transform HR into a genuine value-creation engine — across global financial services, insurance, and consulting.

20+
Years' experience
$100M
Budget managed
12
Countries delivered in
Board-Ready HR Leader
Deven Patel
HR Transformation · Talent Management
AI-Enabled People Operations · Executive Coaching
Executive Coaching Certificate — Henley Business School
Global Head of HR — Aspen Insurance Group (Apollo PE)
Former front-office roles: Lehman Brothers, Kelly OCG, Allegis
UK & Australia work rights · London-based
✦ Henley-Certified Coach
About Deven
"I don't run HR as a support function — I run it as a commercial growth lever."

With over two decades at the intersection of people strategy and business performance, Deven brings a rare combination of deep HR craft, genuine commercial acumen, and technology fluency to every engagement. He has partnered directly with Boards, CFOs, and Private Equity sponsors — including Apollo — to make HR demonstrably move the EBITDA needle.

His career spans global insurers (Aspen, QBE), investment banking (Lehman Brothers, UBS), and HR consulting (Kelly OCG, Allegis Global Solutions) — giving him a unique lens across publicly listed, PE-backed, and high-growth environments.

Deven also holds a Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching from Henley Business School, enabling genuine coaching capability in leadership development engagements — not just advisory.

Aspen Insurance Apollo PE QBE Insurance UBS Bank Kelly OCG Allegis Global Lehman Brothers
89%
Employee engagement achieved at Aspen Insurance — up from 26% at baseline
26%
Reduction in contractor costs — reported at Board level
30%
Lower cost-per-hire via AI talent acquisition
35%
Critical roles filled internally post-HIPO launch
2,000+
HR admin hours eliminated via RPA annually
What I Offer

Consultancy services

Engagements tailored to your organisation's scale, maturity, and ambition — from strategic advisory to hands-on transformation delivery.

🔄
HR Transformation

Redesign your HR operating model from transactional support to a commercially-led Centre of Excellence. Includes CoE build, shared services design, process re-engineering, and governance frameworks.

Operating ModelCoE DesignShared Services
🎯
Talent Management & Succession

Design and implement high-potential programmes, rigorous succession frameworks, and leadership development curricula that build genuine pipeline depth — not just box-ticking processes.

HIPO ProgrammesSuccessionLeadership Dev
🤝
Executive Coaching

Henley-certified coaching for senior leaders navigating transition, growth, or complexity. Drawing on psychometric profiling, 360-degree feedback, and structured development frameworks.

Henley-Certified360 FeedbackPsychometrics
🤖
AI-Enabled Talent Operations

Deploy AI-powered candidate screening, NLP-driven shortlisting, and predictive workforce analytics to transform talent acquisition quality and speed — while reducing cost and unconscious bias.

AI ScreeningPredictive AnalyticsAutomation
🏗️
Post-Acquisition Integration

Lead all people-stream workstreams in M&A integration — org design, role mapping, culture alignment, benefits harmonisation, and communication strategy — with speed and minimal attrition risk.

M&A IntegrationOrg DesignCulture
📊
Workforce Analytics & Strategy

Build people analytics capabilities using SuccessFactors, Workday, or Power BI — delivering predictive attrition models, diversity dashboards, and real-time workforce intelligence to ExCo and Board.

SuccessFactorsWorkdayPower BI
A Different Kind of Partner

HR expertise with a commercial edge

Most HR consultants have only ever worked in HR. Deven is different. He has sat on both sides of the table — as a front-office revenue generator and as a senior HR leader — giving him a perspective that is genuinely rare in this market.

Starting his career at Lehman Brothers as a graduate business analyst, and later building and selling multi-million pound professional services solutions at Kelly OCG and Allegis Global Solutions, Deven understands commercial accountability from the inside. He knows what P&L pressure feels like. He knows how deals are structured. He knows what a board actually wants to hear.

That background is what makes his HR work different. He doesn't just design people strategies — he designs people strategies that are built to move commercial metrics.

💼
Front-Office & Revenue-Generating Background
Lehman Brothers investment banking · £3.5M+ net profit at Allegis · Multi-million pound consulting mandates at Kelly OCG — before moving into HR leadership roles at UBS, QBE, and Aspen.
The Commercial Journey
Lehman Brothers — Graduate Business Analyst in front-office technology. Learned how investment banks are run, how deals are made, and what performance culture really means.
Allegis Global Solutions — Director, Business Development. Originated, structured, and closed £3.5M+ in RPO, MSP, and SoW contracts across EMEA. Accountable for net profit, not just activity.
Kelly OCG — Director, Global HR Consulting. Designed and sold HR transformation solutions to CHROs and business leaders in financial services, technology, and pharma. Built a pipeline of multi-million pound mandates.
Aspen Insurance / Apollo PE — Applied all of the above in a senior HR leadership role. Managed a $100M budget. Delivered EBITDA-linked outcomes. Presented to PE sponsors and investment committees.
For CEOs, CFOs & PE Sponsors
"HR that speaks your language — and moves your numbers."
  • Understands P&L, EBITDA, deal timelines, and what investors expect — not just people metrics
  • Has originated and sold professional services worth millions — knows commercial accountability first-hand
  • Will position HR as a value-creation lever, not a cost centre — with outcomes you can report at Board level
  • Comfortable presenting to investment committees, ExCo, and PE sponsors
  • Delivered 15–25% EBITDA contribution through post-acquisition HR transformation at Aspen with Apollo
For CHROs & HR Leaders
"The bridge between your function and the business."
  • Fluent in both HR craft and commercial strategy — can translate between the two with credibility
  • Has designed and sold HR solutions to business leaders — understands what they actually need from you
  • Brings AI, analytics, and technology fluency to make your function future-ready
  • Henley-certified executive coach: develops your leaders, not just your processes
  • Has built CoEs, transformed operating models, and driven engagement from 26% to 89% — knows what good looks like
Sector Fluency

Deep specialist knowledge — not generic consulting

Deven brings specific fluency in the talent dynamics, deal structures, regulatory environments, and commercial pressures that are unique to:

🏛️ Insurance & Reinsurance
💹 Investment Banking
🏦 Global Financial Services
📈 Private Equity-Backed Businesses
🤝 HR Consulting & Professional Services
💻 Technology & Fintech
🌍 Global & Multi-Jurisdiction Businesses
Do You Need Help With…

Recognise any of these challenges?

If any of these sound familiar, let's talk. These are exactly the situations Deven is built for.

📉
HR isn't seen as a value driverYour HR function is viewed as a cost centre — and you need it to demonstrably impact commercial performance and EBITDA.
🏗️
You're going through an acquisitionYou need people integration done fast — org design, culture alignment, role mapping, and benefits harmonisation — without losing key talent.
🎯
Your talent pipeline isn't keeping upGrowth is outpacing your ability to hire, develop, and retain the right people. You need a proper talent strategy, not just more recruitment.
🤝
HR and the business aren't alignedThere's a disconnect between what HR delivers and what business leaders actually need. You need someone who speaks both languages fluently.
🤖
You're not yet using AI in HRYou know AI could transform your hiring, analytics, and operations — but you're not sure where to start or how to implement it responsibly at scale.
📊
You're making decisions without people dataYour Board and ExCo lack real workforce intelligence. You need attrition modelling, pipeline visibility, and live people analytics.
😔
Engagement and culture are sufferingScores are low, retention is a problem, and you're not sure why. You need a ground-up rebuild of your listening strategy, values, and recognition approach.
🎓
A senior leader needs coachingA high-potential executive is navigating transition or a new challenge. You want a coach who understands commercial reality — not just theory.
💼
You need interim HR leadershipThere's a gap at the top of your HR function and you need a board-ready, commercially fluent leader who can hit the ground running.

Sound familiar? Let's have a conversation.

No hard sell — just an honest conversation about where you are, where you want to be, and whether Deven is the right partner to help you get there.

Core Competencies

Deep expertise across the full HR spectrum

💼
Commercial HR Strategy & Board Engagement
🔬
AI-Enabled Talent Acquisition & Operations
📈
Workforce Planning & Org Design
🌍
Global RPO / MSP / Contingent Workforce
🏦
PE-Backed & Post-Acquisition Integration
🎓
Executive Coaching & Leadership Development
🖥️
HRIS Technology — SuccessFactors, Workday
❤️
Culture Change & Employee Engagement
⚖️
DEI Strategy & Employee Value Proposition
🔍
Workforce Analytics & People Data Strategy
🔧
HR Process Automation & RPA
🎯
Talent Management & Succession Planning
Career Journey

A track record built across global businesses

2020 – 2025
Global Head of HR — Talent, Development, Culture & Transformation
Aspen Insurance Group · London
Senior people leader for a 1,500-person global insurer. Full accountability for a $100M professional services budget. Strategic partner to C-suite and Apollo PE sponsor through full post-acquisition integration.
2018 – 2020
Director, Global HR Consulting Practice
Kelly OCG · London
Senior trusted advisor to CHROs across financial services and technology. Built and managed multi-million pound consulting mandates in HR transformation, analytics, and operating model redesign.
2015 – 2017
Director, Business Development & HR Consulting
Allegis Global Solutions · London
Delivered £3.5M+ net profit through RPO, MSP, and SoW deal origination across EMEA. Advised C-suite on talent strategy and workforce transformation.
2014 – 2015
US & EMEA Head of Recruitment
UBS Bank AG · London
Led a 45-person RPO team delivering 2,500+ hires annually. Reduced agency spend by £1.9M. Raised candidate satisfaction from 55% to 85%.
2010 – 2014
Group Head of HR Transformation & Talent Acquisition
QBE Insurance · Sydney
Led migration to global CoE model. Delivered $3M in cost savings through shared services consolidation. Managed 2,000+ hires annually across 12 offices.
2001 – 2005
Graduate Programme — Business Analyst
Lehman Brothers Investment Bank · London
Front-office technology analyst role at one of the world's leading investment banks. Foundation of commercial and business understanding that underpins Deven's HR approach today.
Education & Certifications
Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching
Henley Business School
2023
SHL Psychometric Assessment — Certified
SHL
2011
SPIN Selling — Certified
Huthwaite International
2007
BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Business Management
University of London — Royal Holloway College
2002
Sectors & Environments
Global Insurance & Reinsurance (Lloyd's market)
Investment Banking & Financial Services
Private Equity-backed Businesses
HR Consulting & Professional Services
Technology & Pharmaceuticals
Geography
🇬🇧 London, UK 🇦🇺 Australia 🇺🇸 North America 🌍 EMEA 🌏 APAC
Proven Impact

Outcomes that speak for themselves

26%
Cost reduction
Contractor spend reduced through tiered supplier model — a direct P&L contribution reviewed at Board level at Aspen Insurance.
89%
Engagement score
Global employee engagement transformed from 26% to 89% through new listening architecture, recognition platform, and refreshed company values.
30%
Lower cost-per-hire
AI-powered candidate screening and NLP-driven shortlisting reduced cost-per-hire by 30% and time-to-hire by 25%.
15–25%
EBITDA contribution
HR transformation activities directly contributed to EBITDA gains across post-acquisition integration with Apollo PE sponsor.
35%
Internal mobility
Critical roles filled internally within two years of global HIPO programme launch — with executive sponsorship and stretch assignments.
£1.9M
Agency spend saved
Agency cost reduction at UBS over two years through direct sourcing and preferred supplier model optimisation.
Get in Touch

Let's talk about your people strategy

Available for advisory mandates, interim HR leadership, and executive coaching engagements. Happy to connect with CHROs, CEOs, PE sponsors, and business leaders.

✉️
Email
Deven1806@gmail.com
📞
Phone
+44 7506 683 524
📍
Location
London, UK
🌐
Work Rights
UK & Australia
Send a Message →