Helen Francis is the Director of the People Management and Organisational Development Division, within the Edinburgh Institute (EI), and also Reader within Edinburgh Business School. Since her early practitioner experience in personnel management, she has developed a strong profile in the area of HR transformation, organisational change, learning and critical discourse analysis. This has built upon her PhD study of the role of language in strategic change, and various research projects, from which she has published extensively, within leading academic journals, textbooks and practitioner journals. Helen has played key roles in commercial developments within the University, including the creation of the Edinburgh HR Academy, and the more recent establishment of the People and Organisation Development Division of the EI. She spearheaded an approach to OD and HR consultancy that effectively blends consultancy and academic skill-sets and knowledge, which underpins current projects within POD. This includes development of a forthcoming textbook on OD and HR commissioned by the CIPD, which is being written jointly by Helen, with Linda Holbeche and Dr Martin Reddington. Her most recent research/consultancy work is in the area developing sustainable employee value propositions within public and private sector organisations.