06/24/2026 updated

**** ******** ****
not available
info: not available until 09/01/2026

Principal Consultant, Senior Consultant, Researcher & Lecturer

Barcelona, Spain
Only remote
PhD International Relations, Associate's Degree Management, Diploma Project Management
Barcelona, Spain
Only remote
PhD International Relations, Associate's Degree Management, Diploma Project Management

Profile attachments

Laura May - Leadership CV.pdf

InnovationManagement and Business ConsultingCertified Project Management ProfessionalCorporate Social ResponsibilityDesign ThinkingGlobal LeadershipLeadershipKnowledge ManagementProject Management SoftwareAtlassian TrelloHubspotIT Project Management
Accomplished people-centric leader and intrapreneur with 20 years of international experience in diverse sectors. Proven track record in strategic planning and resource deployment, people learning and development, and implementation of IT solutions. Committed to fostering innovation, inclusivity, and high performance in the workplace.
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Intrapreneurs, like entrepreneurs, apply their creative energies and curiosity to innovating new solutions. Unlike entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs do this within existing organisations. I have twenty years' professional experience in public and private sector settings generating innovative solutions, whether addressing organisational infrastructure (International Mediation Institute), people and culture (Hill & Knowlton), IT needs (Bureau of Health Information), communications and marketing (JDS Australia), corporate social responsibility ambitions (Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers), or even issues of social polarisation (PhD in International Relations).

Throughout my work, I take a people-centred approach. This means I actively work to promote diversity and inclusion, use design thinking and agile approaches, and am dedicated to mediation and integrative negotiation when addressing conflicts and making agreements alike.

My focus is on doing 'good work with good people', and I specialise in connecting people and solving problems.

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Agile, AI, Asana, HubSpot, information security management system, ICT infrastructure, IT operations, knowledge management, learning management system, Machine Learning, MS Project, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, path planning, Office365, operational systems, project management software, Python 3, Trello, Website development, website traffic, WordPress

Languages

EnglishNative speakerFrenchBasic knowledgeRussianBasic knowledgeSpanishGood

Project history

European Director of People & Culture

Hill & Knowlton
* Strategic leadership of multi-country initiatives on items such as mobility, career path planning,
employee value propositions, and diversity equity and inclusion.
* Provided coaching at senior levels and for those stepping into operational leadership for the
first time, and mentorship for junior and mid-level staff.
* Supported 12 countries to foster innovation, collaboration, and capacity across Europe.
Objectives: Leave people better than we found them; set groundwork for innovation and organisational
resilience given the rise of AI.
* Relationship building with stakeholders across the continent and in other regions, plus in service
areas including IT. Facilitated intercultural communication.
* Conflict resolution, mediation, performance investigations, and complaints handling, reducing
organisational risks, costs, and staff turnover.
* Restructuring leadership including within-country change from hierarchical to matrixed
organisational structure.
* Design and delivery of training programs (managing stress, diversity equity and inclusion, DEI and
AI, project management, servant leadership, feedback culture).
* IT liaison on multiple international projects with regional project management oversight.
* Winner of the International People and Culture Association 'North Star' Award. Published
"Inclusion as a Catalyst for Innovation".

Senior Consultant

Prospex Institute
* Managed high-performing remote teams. Conducted appraisals and coached staff in developing career
plans and empowering SMART goals.
* Led a program of multiple complex EU-wide Horizon2020 research projects.
* Initiating and rolling out IT solutions, including project management software to ensure
high-value projects were completed on time with minimum risk.
* Provided conflict resolution and ombuds expertise and services to consortia.
* Rewrote a question bank on demographic and other data to be inclusive, developed and delivered
training on running inclusive events and ensuring the participation of under-represented groups, and
wrote gender inclusivity sections for Horizon Europe proposals.

Researcher & Lecturer

University of Kent
* Lecturer for the Masters-level Negotiation and Mediation course, a practical course focusing on
negotiation and communication skills.
* Designed and conducted a multi-year mixed methods research project culminating in a 713-page
technical thesis and multiple public presentations at national and international conferences.
* Incorporated diversity/equity/inclusion into curriculum by analysing syllabuses for citation
diversity resulting in a 30% increase in representation of underrepresented groups.
* Initiated, developed, and delivered a course on 'IT for Academia', resulting in more efficient
writing for students and marking for lecturers.

Executive Director

International Mediation Institute
* Handled all budgeting, financial forecasting, and cashflow management. Set up a range of ICT and
banking systems, plus automation, to minimise costs and speed up invoicing and payment. Reduced
non-payment of fees by 80% and shortened time to payment from an average of 3 months to less than a
week.
* Managed remote teams across languages, cultures, and functions. Recruited and coordinated large
international volunteer teams, contractors and consultants.
* Ensured representation of diverse backgrounds in all committees and taskforces, including the
Board of Directors. Implemented DEI policies around conference support, taskforce membership, and
publication representation. Designed systems to capture inclusivity data and enhanced diversity of
certified mediators.
* Quadrupled active membership. Diversified income streams to create financially sound organisation.
* Rebuilt entire organisation's ICT infrastructure and operational systems in line with business
needs. Increased website traffic by 6x in three years. Designed and implemented ICT and policy
systems to improve communications, workflow, knowledge management, and facilitate stakeholder
relations.
* Provided conflict resolution thought leadership, including speaking and keynoting at global
conferences. Delivered international seminar series.
* Invited as guest of the Singaporean government to the signing of the UN Convention on
Enforceability of Mediated Settlement.
* Built international relationships with individuals, providers, and intergovernmental organisations
such as the UN and EU.
* Conducted quality audit of entire organisation to improve processes and international standing.
Localised programs and processes.

Director

Trafficked.org
* Established and operated Trafficked.org, an NGO that provided a unique centralised reporting
mechanism for instances of human trafficking.
* Cultivated a global network of contacts to facilitate enquiries and ensure referral of reported
instances of human trafficking to appropriate in-country authorities.
* Offered expertise to position the organisation as a key resource in combating human trafficking.

Policy Analyst & ICT Projects

Bureau of Health Information (NSW Health)
* Created strategic documents, including business continuity management and an ISO-compliant
information security management system.
* Wrote policies affecting up to 500,000 people, and caused change in workplace policy at
Ministerial level over equity concerns.
* Planned and implemented ICT solutions including an intranet and learning management system to
improve workflow and productivity.
* Ensured compliance with legislation, and with third-party Agreements and Compacts inside a complex
governmental infrastructure.
* Managed relationships and negotiations with third-party service providers, and matched solutions
to business needs.
PROJECTS

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