A Climate-Focused HR Consultancy in London

Denyse Whillier is the founder of The Purpose Company, working with purpose-led founders and leaders at every stage of growth. Her approach - hope-centred strategy - combines the strategic capabilities she developed over eight years as a CEO with a commitment to building businesses that are aligned with their founder's purpose and values.

‍ Lucy was working at a major tech company when she realised she couldn't stay somewhere that was misaligned with her values - particularly around climate and sustainability. She resigned, started an HR consultancy, and four months in found herself sitting in her home office on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, staring at a nearly empty calendar. She had one retainer client and a small contract that had come through a friend. She needed strategic clarity about how to build a business that was both commercially viable and aligned with what she genuinely cared about.

"I thought leaving the corporate world would be the hard part, but building a business felt impossible until I found my focus. Working with Denyse helped me realise that my passion for sustainability wasn't separate from my HR expertise - it was exactly what would make me different. When I stopped trying to serve everyone and focused on climate businesses, everything changed." - Lucy

I began working with Lucy through Purpose-Led Business Coaching, starting with a half-day session that reshaped how she thought about her business. An important breakthrough came when we examined what had driven her to leave her corporate role in the first place. Her frustration wasn't just about company culture - it was specifically about working for organisations that weren't taking climate change seriously. Her passion for sustainability wasn't separate from her professional expertise. It was the lens through which her HR skills could create the most meaningful impact.

We positioned Lucy exclusively around climate businesses - climate tech startups, sustainable finance, circular economy companies, and policy organisations. Instead of competing with every other HR consultant, Lucy became the specialist that climate businesses sought out specifically. This clarity transformed everything. She stopped attending random networking events and started building relationships within the climate business community. She immersed herself in London Climate Action Week. She enrolled in an ESG Leadership Skills course. She launched a monthly LinkedIn newsletter and began publishing thought leadership that combined her HR expertise with climate business insights.

The results built steadily. Within twelve months, Lucy went from £3,500 to £12,000 in monthly recurring revenue with eight retainer clients. By Year 2, she was building a team of HR Business Partners and turnover exceeded £275,000. By Year 3, revenue surpassed £575,000. By Year 4, turnover reached over £850,000 with a team of eight HR Business Partners, a LinkedIn newsletter that had become a powerful business development tool, and fractional HR services extending her reach across the climate business ecosystem.

The plan we'd built together when she was finding her feet had done its job beautifully and the business was thriving. It was time to take stock and reset. At the start of Year 5, Lucy asked her team to put together detailed personal and professional profiles going beyond their CVs. What came back informed what happened next. Several team members had deep expertise in biodiversity, nature restoration, and environmental policy. Lucy expanded the business into nature protection - following what her team had shown her was possible.

We held a two-day strategic planning retreat with Lucy’s core team, and laid the foundations for what comes next.

Lucy's business now generates over £1.25 million in annual revenue. She's exploring B Corp certification, formalising the values that have driven the business from the start. Her journey from an empty diary to a thriving, purpose-led consultancy with a team serving climate businesses across the UK is one of the most complete transformations in my client portfolio - and it continues to evolve.

Lucy's journey is told in detail across a three-part case study series on my blog:

• Part 1

• Part 2

• Part 3

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If Lucy's story resonates with you - whether you're building something from scratch, navigating a transition, or looking for the strategic support to take your business to its next stage - I'd welcome a conversation about what working together could look like for you.