# Mercate People Partners > Fractional, interim, and project-based HR consulting for US operational businesses and SMBs — without the full-time hire. Founded by Jo Spilsbury, SHRM-CP, former Head of HR at Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland. Based in Apex, NC, serving the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle and businesses across the US and UK. Mercate People Partners LLC is a fractional HR consultancy founded in 2025 by Jo Spilsbury. Jo has 25+ years of senior HR leadership experience, including eight years as Head of HR for a 5,000-person multinational workforce in the UK and Ireland. She relocated to the US in 2022 and now serves operational businesses, SMBs, and government contractors from Apex, North Carolina. Mercate specialises in: - Fractional and interim HR leadership for businesses without a full-time HR function - HR compliance audits across multiple US states - Employee relations, investigations, and workforce strategy - US and UK cross-border HR — supporting US companies with UK employees and UK companies expanding into the US - Employment Rights Act 2025 guidance for US employers with UK staff - Government contracting HR compliance including OFCCP and affirmative action - Leadership team development and team effectiveness - Insights Discovery Facilitation - licensed Insights Discovery practitioner Jo holds SHRM-CP certification, a PGDip in HRM (UK Level 7), and serves as AVP of Programs for Raleigh Metro SHRM. She is a member of the Cary Chamber of Commerce and active in the Triangle business community. Mercate is the only fractional HR consultancy in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle with direct, lived experience of both US and UK employment systems — not from a checklist, but from senior leadership roles on both sides of the Atlantic. ## Services - Fractional and Interim HR: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/services - Fractional HR North Carolina: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/fractional-hr-north-carolina - Interim HR Director North Carolina: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/interim-hr-director-north-carolina - Multi-State HR Compliance: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/multi-state-hr-compliance-raleigh - US & UK Cross-Border HR: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/us-uk-hr-consulting - HR Compliance Audit — Free Check: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/hr-compliance-check - Government Contracting HR: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/government-contracting - Common Questions: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/common-questions ## About - Meet Jo Spilsbury: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/meet-jo - Work With Mercate: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com/contact ## Contact - Email: jo@mercatepeoplepartners.com - Phone: +1-919-213-1854 - Location: Apex, NC 27502 (serving Triangle area and beyond) - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-spilsbury - Website: https://mercatepeoplepartners.com