Impact HR Leeds Builds National Consultancy Through Acquisitions

Impact HR Leeds grows from Leeds-founded Kingswood Group into a national HR consultancy through acquisitions, a new Group CEO, and expanding team

Leeds HR consultancy Impact HR Leeds has built a national operation through four acquisitions in 18 months, expanding from its origins as Kingswood Group into a business serving SMEs across the UK from bases in Leeds, Leicester, Milton Keynes, and Cardiff. The company rebranded from Kingswood Group to Impact HR in October 2025 following its initial acquisitions in Essex, Leeds, and Leicester. Since then, it has acquired Milton Keynes HR technology specialist Tugela People and, most recently, Cardiff-based EffectiveHRM – which brought more than 150 SME clients and 12 employees into the group. Group CEO Greg Guilford, who joined in October 2025 with 20 years of leadership experience, described the last 18 months as transformational.

Why This Matters For Leeds

Impact HR is building national scale through acquisition from a Leeds base. Four acquisitions in 18 months, each adding clients, geography, and capability, shows a deliberate buy-and-build strategy targeting the SME HR market. For Leeds’ professional services community, it’s another example of a city-based firm using acquisition to grow beyond its region. The new hires in Leeds, including an HR adviser with FTSE 250 and AI experience, signal that the company is investing in its home city as well as expanding nationally.

How Impact HR Leeds Has Grown

Founded as Kingswood Group in 2018, the business completed acquisitions in Essex, Leeds, and Leicester before rebranding in October 2025. Greg Guilford joined as Group CEO at the same time, bringing 17 years as CEO of a previous HR consultancy and experience in mergers, acquisitions, and scaling SME-focused businesses. The company now provides integrated HR, payroll, health and safety, and people advisory services to SMEs nationwide. Other senior hires over the past year include Juliet Irving as Director of HR Operations and James Balding as Head of Health and Safety.

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“The last 18 months have been transformational for Impact HR. We’ve grown both organically and through acquisition expanded geographically across the UK and continued to strengthen our team with exceptional people who share our values and vision. Our ambition is to build a truly national HR consultancy that combines local expertise with the scale and capability to support SMEs through every stage of their growth journey.”

— Greg Guilford, Group CEO, Impact HR

Investing in the Leeds Team

Alongside the national expansion, Impact HR Leeds continues to invest in its home city. James Roberts has joined as HR Adviser supporting the Leeds and Northern region, bringing experience from a FTSE 250 IT consultancy with expertise in automation and AI-driven HR processes. Roberts said he was attracted by the opportunity to help shape a growing business from both an HR and IT perspective. Mellissa Charles has joined as HR Consultant covering the Eastern region, with 25 years of experience across financial institutions. Amber Shoyer joins as Group Digital Marketing Executive to support the company’s brand development as it scales. The company is currently recruiting for further roles across the group.