Women in Finance: Daniella Humble & HR Leadership at Foster Denovo

We’re excited to share the 18^th episode of our Women in Finance series, featuring Daniella Humble, our People and Culture Manager at Foster Denovo.

Daniella shares her growth and journey within HR at Foster Denovo, the challenges and opportunities that came with the COVID pandemic, and offers her thoughts and advice for women within the finance industry and HR.

Women in Finance: Daniella Humble on leading with strategy, people, and purpose

Joining the company in 2017 as an HR Administrator, Daniella’s career has been a journey of growth, determination, and passion.

“I joined Foster Denovo eight years ago as an HR Administrator, mainly responsible for admin tasks. I then progressed to HR Assistant and, while in that role, the company supported me through my Level 5 CIPD qualification. From there, I moved into an HR Adviser position, followed by Junior HR Manager, and now I’m proud to be the People and Culture Manager.”

What attracted you to HR specifically within the financial sector?

“Financial service firms are often fast-growing and innovative, which creates an energetic and forward-thinking environment. People are open to change and constantly looking to improve. As an HR professional, that means I have real scope to make an impact – change happens quickly, unlike in sectors that move at a slower pace. It makes it much more interesting, as I’m not just stuck doing payroll or contracts, it’s about driving real change.”

One area where Daniella makes a particularly strong impact is during company acquisitions, which involve complex HR transitions under TUPE legislation.

“TUPE legislation is when employees transfer from one company to during an acquisition. Those employees must be consulted beforehand, as you need to win their hearts and minds, making them genuinely excited about joining Foster Denovo. That process alone can take weeks.

Once they have come across, the integration process begins – ensuring they they’re happy, engaged and feel part of the team, while preserving our culture” she explains. “It’s not just about paperwork. It’s about making people feel they belong. The full integration can take up to a year. That’s a major change management project.”

How have you grown and developed within your roles over the years?

“When I started, we were just a team of three, and recruitment sat within HR too. It’s incredible to see how far we’ve come. My role now is much more strategic. I’m focused on ensuring our people and culture strategy supports the wider business goals. That means asking: what people strategies will help us achieve our objectives?”

“In junior roles, you’re much more operational. These days, half my job is team management, which I love. The other half is creative problem solving. That’s what HR really is. I love sitting down with people, break down challenges, and developing plans that make a difference.”

“Working through the pandemic was a real test. It wasn’t easy. I had to manage new kinds of challenges, alongside studying for my Level 5 qualification. HR was front and centre for us and the people within Foster Denovo. We were working long hours to ensure people felt supported while they adapted to remote working. It was a tough time, but also one of the most important learning periods of my career. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, and that’s when you grow the most.”

Daniella credits her development to both company support and her own drive. “Foster Denovo paid for my qualification and gave study time on Wednesday afternoons. I had regular one-to-ones and coaching from my manager, Louise Blair, who really encouraged me. I always tell people not to wait for opportunities to come to them. You have to know where you want to go and don’t be afraid to ask for help getting there.”

A big part of her current role is people development. “I’m passionate about making sure my team has the same opportunities I had,” she says. “It’s really rewarding to help someone grow.”

The big topic of working from home

When it comes to remote working, which is still one of the most debated topics in post-pandemic workplace, Danni offers a balanced view.

“It’s a huge discussion, and people feel strongly about it on both sides. Working from home has its benefits – especially for wellbeing and work-life balance. It offers flexibility, and for many, that’s really valuable. But it does come with challenges.

It can be harder for managers, and for development too. I learned so much just by listening to how my manager handled situations – you miss some of that natural learning when everyone’s remote. And for people like me without a separate office, it’s tough to switch off when your work and relaxation space are the same.”

How do you support diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

“Diversity and inclusion are a core part of our people strategy. We’re training managers to recognise unconscious bias, running awareness events through our internal employee engagement group – The Voice – and improving how we collect and use data to track diversity and ensure fairness in promotions.”

As a female leader in HR and financial services, Daniella is encouraged by progress – but recognises there’s more to do.

“Foster Denovo has amazing female representation at the leadership level, which is something to be proud of. But, as most companies in our sector, we do face challenges attracting women into financial adviser roles. We’re working hard to change the perception and show women they don’t need to stay in admin roles if they don’t want to. They can be the ones giving the advice.”

Her advice to women starting out in finance or HR?

“Network. Talk to people. Get involved in as much as you can. That’s how you learn and grow. If you’re working remotely, you will need to be even more proactive. If there’s an exciting project happening, ask to get involved – don’t wait for development to come to you, go after it.”