Kathryn Ward - Interim Director of People & Culture

Kathryn has joined us as Interim Director of People & Culture in August 2026, covering for Sharon Pavitt during her absence. She leads the teams that deliver our people strategy and programmes, looking after our colleagues, volunteers, and trustees - and keeping them connected to everything we do. 

Kathryn is a seasoned People & HR leader, and has worked with a variety of medium and large UK charities to define and deliver their strategy through people plans.

After a career in commercial talent and HR roles, she spent six years as the Chief People Officer for Guide Dogs for the Blind, supporting them through Covid and an extensive transformation. Her legacy includes improved people experience (staff and volunteers), commitment to wellbeing and engagement, partnership with staff representatives, and the development of an EDI strategy which championed lived experience. 

Kathryn is a committed volunteer in a variety of ways: she is a Trustee for Wessex Archaeology, the Charities HR Network, and an external advisor and committee member at Worcester College, Oxford. At a local level she has restarted the annual village fete, mentors leaders with young children, and helps run junior hockey. 

Kathryn now runs her own business Zephyr People, supporting charities through fractional, interim and project work, and is a trained ICF coach with a special interest in threshold work. She is iACT qualified (MHFA equivalent), burnout and trauma-informed. She lives in Hampshire with her two teen children, three cats, and a giant to-be-read pile of books.