Meet the Team
Get in touch today to see how we can help with your HR needs, and free up your time to focus on what you do best.
Meet our team of HR Specialists, available for retained arrangements or on a project/interim basis. Our team provides expert knowledge to support specialist projects or completely outsource your HR needs.
Heidi Neal-Millar
HR Consulting Lead
Heidi is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with over three decades of HR leadership experience across global organisations and sectors including retail, financial services, education, and healthcare. She brings a pragmatic, collaborative approach to HR, with deep expertise in organisational development, employee engagement, international HR, and strategic change.
Heidi has recently joined Cogito HR as our Lead HR Consultant. Her career includes senior roles at Nike, Clarks, Santander UK, Langford Vets (University of Bristol), and most recently as Head of HR & Payroll at Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN), where she led trust-wide initiatives in talent planning, TUPE integrations, and cultural development.
Heidi is known for her ability to navigate complex change with empathy and clarity, and for building high-performing HR teams that deliver measurable impact. She has worked across the UK, The Netherlands, USA, and Asia Pacific, and thrives in environments where people and purpose align.
Outside of work, Heidi enjoys spending time with her family—including their border collie, Miko—travelling, and staying active through pump and yoga classes. Heidi also expresses her love for music as the lead singer in a local pub cover band, where her husband joins her on drums.
Emily O'Brien
HR and Learning Co-Ordinator
Emily is a Bristol-based people professional specialising in Learning & Development coordination. With experience delivering training across the UK and internationally, she has worked in both the public and private sectors, spanning education and L&D.
At Cogito HR, Emily supports the delivery of high-quality customer experiences by co-ordinating impactful learning initiatives and providing comprehensive project administration and support. She ensures that every session is smoothly delivered, pedagogically sound, and learner-centred. Emily’s calm approach, attention to detail, and commitment to continuous improvement make her a valuable asset to both the HR and Learning & Development teams.
Emily is a trained Mental Health First Aider at Cogito, reflecting her commitment to wellbeing in the workplace. Outside of work, she enjoys staying active, exploring new places, sewing and reading.
We value collaborating closely with our clients as if we are part of their team.
Get in touch by clicking the button below to arrange a time to chat, so we can take the time to understand your goals, challenges, as well as your current HR practices and documents.
