THE FOUNDER of the most established HR company in Milton Keynes has been reflecting on its 25 years in business.
Angela Rhodes, pictured at an anniversary celebration at MK Gallery, is due to retire in June. “Crispin Rhodes has very much been a labour of love for me,” she says.
She set up the business having worked for a Japanese company and becoming a mother to two children.
“I was sick of missing sports days and I wanted to be master of my own destiny,” she says. “My mother ran her own business from home and she inspired me to do the same.”
More than four in five firms in Milton Keynes employed fewer than 20 people at the time “I thought they would all need HR support. That is who I wanted to work with.”
Angela worked from home for the first 12 years of trading as Crispin Rhodes. The company then moved into shared offices with a client in 2009 and was acquired by Northamptonshire-based HR Solutions in July 2020.
“We were the first HR consultancy in Milton Keynes and to keep that going for 25 years to the point that someone wanted to buy us was pretty amazing,” says Angela. “It has given me so much freedom and flexibility in my career. I am overjoyed and proud to celebrate 25 years of success and, while both my name and heart will always be in this company, I feel now is the perfect time to step down and let my talented colleagues storm ahead.”
Angela now plans to travel the world with her husband, who has already retired.
“Having joined the HR Solutions family and enhancing the service we provide to our clients, I know that my clients will be well supported by the HR Solutions team. I leave the company in good hands,” she says.
Guests at the MK Gallery event enjoyed afternoon tea and a presentation of key employment law updates to help businesses manage their teams.
