EOT adviser in Somerset

Shelley Poole – Wellington HR

Shelley is the founder and Managing Director of Wellington HR. And, uniquely among HR advisers working in the employee ownership space, she runs a 100% employee-owned business herself. That experience, combined with a PhD focused on employee voice, gives Shelley a depth of understanding of what it genuinely means to work in and lead an employee owned organisation.

EOT expertise

Specialising in HR support for employee-owned businesses, Shelley and the Wellington HR team understand the different dynamics that make up an EO business. The Wellington HR team support EO businesses with everything from policy reviews through to contract creation and people strategy. She also works closely with the Employee Ownership Association, staying at the forefront of best practice across the sector.

Qualifications and experience

Shelley holds a PhD with a focus on employee voice. She has deeply researched this question at the heart of what makes employee ownership genuinely work. Her academic grounding, combined with hands-on experience of founding and leading an employee-owned business, makes her a well-rounded adviser for organisations navigating the people and culture side of an EOT transition.

How Shelley works with Go EO

Shelley partners with Go EO to support businesses through the people and HR dimensions of an EOT transition and beyond. Go EO handles the technical transaction: valuation, legal documentation, tax clearance and trust registration. Shelley's role begins where that process ends. Her work focuses on helping newly employee-owned businesses build the HR frameworks, communication structures and ownership culture that allow their people to thrive in their new roles as employee owners.

What is an Employee Ownership Trust?

An Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) is a way for a business owner to sell their company to their people. The founder's shares transfer to a trust held on behalf of the workforce, and the business repays the founder over time from future profits. Employees gain a genuine stake in the organisation – and with that, a real voice in its future. For many founders, that's exactly the point: creating a business where the people who show up every day have a meaningful say in how it's run and share directly in its success.

Why work with an EOT adviser?

Completing an EOT transaction is just the first step. Building a business where employee ownership truly works is a whole journey. The HR and people side of an EOT – how employees are brought into the culture of ownership, how their voices are heard and acted on, how policies and structures reflect their new status as owners – can make the difference between an EOT that delivers on its promise and one that doesn't. Getting specialist support from someone who understands the unique dynamics of an employee owned business is one of the most valuable investments a newly transitioned organisation can make.