Meet Sue Henry – Managing Director of our new Expert Witness and Assessment Division

As we announced at the start of the year, handl Group is moving to a new divisional structure so we can better support and grow the various brands under our umbrella. The first of these divisions, Expert Witness and Assessments, incorporates seven brands that include our most established companies and well regarded market leaders.

To lead such a diverse group of experts, we needed somebody who really knows her stuff. And as luck would have it, the perfect candidate was already right here within the group.

With decades of experience, and the vision to deliver growth, Sue Henry had to be our number one pick for the position of divisional MD.

Who is Sue Henry?

If you’ve worked with handl Group for any length of time, chances are you’re already familiar with Sue. Joining Speed Medical in February of 2004, Sue’s been part of the group since before it was actually a group. In fact, she’s been here longer than handl’s own CEO…

“I joined Speed Medical in the February of 2004, and Graham Pulford (handl Group CEO) didn’t join us until June. My original job was to set up the supply chain for Speed, but that role became more transformational as I worked closely with Graham. The changes we worked on swept through the business, and by 2009 I was in position as Operations Director.”

As Operations Director, Sue had a front row seat to changes at Speed Medical that would lead to the formation of a new growth-focused investment company. But that front row seat didn’t mean she was a spectator.

What was the move from Speed Medical to handl Group like?

“As we expanded into handl Group in 2019, Graham gave me the autonomy to engage with everything, solve problems and really drive things forward.”

It’s this diversity that kept Sue engaged. Every new acquisition posed a new challenge to meet, a new problem to solve. As we continued to grow, Sue knew she’d found a place that suited her skillset.

“I love meeting new people, and being part of a new group gave me a buzz. I’d be supporting owners, helping them see the opportunities in front of them and giving them the structure to really achieve.”

Why did handl Group Choose Sue?

How could we not? As Sue explains, taking on the role of divisional MD wasn’t a huge change for her.

“It was just formalising what I’d already been doing!”

Having been here since our first EW&A acquisition, Sue knows exactly how her division ticks. She’s been a key part of our growth and success, so it made sense to offer her the role.

What’s Sue excited about?

In a word, people.

“We’ve got a division that’s really built on mutual respect and trust. From the board to me, and then from me to the brands. We’re all about buying into people. People are our biggest strength, and it’s a real opportunity to learn together.”

The brands making up the division are a natural grouping, with all seven focusing on different aspects of expert witness and assessment services, but it’s not a group that came together by default.

“There’s not one brand I’d give up or replace, and that’s before you look at the other people. The whole team – the whole division – is aligned. We’re great collaborators, and we look for synergy without forcing it.”

How will Sue be leading her division?

Collaboration is a word Sue uses often. She’ll be leading a division that brings together input and opinions from across multiple brands.

“If you’re dictatorial, if you demand people fall in line, they won’t. They’ll always have a reason not to. You have to bring people with you, not insist they follow behind.”

“It’s about understanding the brands I work with, seeing their challenges and finding ways we can support each other.”

Sensible. That’s another word Sue uses. Sensible changes, where nothing is off the table, but that won’t risk everything the whole division has worked so hard to build over the past ten years or more.

Finally, what will the future look like for Expert Witness and Assessments?

Sue has a realistic view of what the future holds. What the brands of her divisions have accomplished so far is fantastic, but there’s more room to grow, more challenges to overcome. She’s confident about the opportunities ahead.

“Our first task is to tackle what I see as the three biggest challenges for us. Improving customer intimacy, finding and creating new opportunities and making sure we have a collaborative, joined-up division that still has room for singular identities.”

Like the group as a whole, growth is Sue’s goal, and she’s clear that collaboration is the way to do it.

It’s down to Sue for the last word. What will life in her division look like? Simple.

“Lots of friendly, healthy competition so we can all grow together.”

Sounds good to us!