April Marcot — Fractional HR Leader for CEOs and leadership teams
Get that right, and everything else follows.
I've spent twenty plus years inside businesses at their most interesting moments. Fast growth, big change, high stakes. The kind where growth might be outpacing the people holding it together, talent could be quietly heading for the door, and performance isn't matching potential. Nobody can quite put their finger on why.
I work with CEOs and leadership teams who know something's off but can't name it. That's where I start. I find what's actually going on, and we build from there.
No frameworks that gather dust, no workshop theatre. Just honest work from someone who's done this at scale and will tell you what they genuinely think.
Fix the conditions.
Most businesses don't have a people problem. They have a conditions problem. Get the conditions right, and people do what they were always capable of doing.
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Fractional CPO
A serious people leader, without the full-time hire.
You need a serious people leader but you're not ready to hire one full time. I embed with your leadership team, work alongside your CEO, and do the job. Not a report delivered six weeks later. The real thing.
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One-on-One Coaching
For leaders who want honest conversation, not a cheerleader.
I work with leaders at all levels who want straight, practical coaching. I work on what's getting in the way, and I'll tell you what I see even when it's uncomfortable.
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Culture & Engagement
Find out what's actually happening. Then act on it.
You can feel something's off. Attrition is creeping, the energy has shifted, or you're growing fast and the culture isn't keeping pace. I find out what's driving it and build a path back to a place where people genuinely want to show up.
- 04
Leadership Development
Real capability, built to last.
Leading people well is its own skill set. I design and run programmes that build it properly, using tools like LSI to show leaders how they actually show up, and what shifts when they change. Practical, specific, and built around what your business needs right now.
- 05
People Strategy
Built for where you're going.
You're at an inflection point. Scaling, restructuring, or realising the way you've operated won't carry you through the next chapter. I help you build the people architecture that will.
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Hands On
Senior experience, no ego about how it's used.
Sometimes you need someone to just deal with it. A contract, a difficult conversation, a policy that needs writing, a mediation that needs handling, a restructure that's become complicated. I've done all of it at every level. If something people-related needs sorting, that's enough of a brief.
Twenty years in the room.
I'm April Marcot. Twenty years inside businesses that were growing, changing, or figuring out who they were.
The businesses I've worked with range from twenty people to 4,200. The people questions are remarkably similar. I've scaled businesses that doubled in headcount while lifting engagement from 55% to 80%, built people functions from scratch, and sat at executive tables where culture was an afterthought, until it wasn't.
I believe one thing: people want to add value and be valued for what they do. Everything else in my work flows from that.
I'll tell you what I think. The goal is always to find what's true, not to be right.
Based in Sydney. I make a decent woodfired pizza. And if our first conversation doesn't include at least one laugh, we're probably not the right fit.
I'm an IECL accredited coach and qualified in LSI, HBDI, and Situational Leadership. These aren't badges. They're tools that work, so that's why I use them. I think commercially, which means the conversation is always about business outcomes, not HR activity. I'm as comfortable with a P&L as I am with a people plan.
In their own words.
Working with April was one of the most transformative professional experiences I've ever had. She didn't just advise me, she coached me into becoming a better leader. April has this rare ability to challenge your thinking in the warmest, most empathetic way, the kind of pushback that makes you reconsider without ever feeling defensive.
As a sounding board, she was invaluable. Whether I was wrestling with a tough people decision, navigating a sensitive team dynamic, or trying to think through a thorny organisational question, April was the person I wanted to work through it with. Beyond her expertise, April is simply someone I trust completely. If you're considering bringing her on as a fractional CPO or HR advisor, do it.
April brings a practical, commercial lens to people and culture work that most HR leaders don't have. She led our organisation through the pandemic with no playbook and created genuine psychological safety for our people. She's different to most P&C executives, which is refreshing.
Over the last 8 years I have worked extensively with April Marcot on complex development and executive coaching initiatives linked to the strategy and goals of highly successful businesses.
She deeply understands business imperatives and the importance of achieving tangible outcomes when working with senior executives and their people. Her commitment to the growth of people and leadership teams is impressive.
She is creative, insightful, frank, and courageous in her advice.
April is also a highly experienced and skilled communicator, facilitator, and executive coach. I love her 'can do' and optimistic approach to working with people within high pressure environments. Her business acumen and ability to practically link culture and people to business success is a real strength. She speaks the language of business and organisations, far more so than the language of HR.
I highly recommend April and the quality of her work and commitment to excellence. She is a real pleasure to work with.
I highly recommend April for her exceptional executive leadership. Her people perspective is strategic and her advice always practical and actionable, ensuring it can be applied effectively to day to day challenges. April is values-led, and she influences with credibility and integrity. Her calming presence fosters trust and collaboration, making her an invaluable partner in leadership and organisational development initiatives.
A straight conversation.
If something in your business isn't quite working and you can't put your finger on why, let's talk. No pitch deck. No discovery questionnaire. Just a straight conversation to see if I'm the right person to help.