Mercate People Partners

Fractional HR Executive, Interim HR Director and Interim Head of HR for owners and senior leaders of growing US and UK businesses. Senior HR consulting, workplace investigations, and cross-border US–UK HR support. Founded by Jo Spilsbury, SHRM-CP, former Head of HR at Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland. Based in Apex, NC.

Mercate People Partners LLC is a fractional HR consultancy founded in 2025 by Jo Spilsbury. Jo has over 20 years of senior HR leadership experience, including eight years as Head of HR for Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland - the UK arm of a 156,000-person global multi-national - and more than a decade in senior HR roles inside a 10,000-plus-person public sector organization. She relocated to the US in 2022 and now serves operational businesses and growing companies from Apex, North Carolina. Focused on building the leadership capability, HR structure, and people practices growing businesses need to scale - from executive strategic partnership through to hands-on handbook development, on-site diagnostic work, and coaching for first-time managers.

Mercate specializes in:

  • Fractional HR Executive, Interim HR Director, and Interim Head of HR for businesses without a full-time senior HR leader
  • HR function design and HR strategy for scaling businesses
  • Building HR capability - structure, processes, and expertise for growing businesses that need their people function to level up
  • Support for entrepreneurs, founders and technology startups building their first proper HR function
  • Front-line and mid-level manager coaching for businesses that have promoted managers without leadership training
  • Practical HR delivery - handbook development, HR file audits, on-site diagnostic work, and team effectiveness sessions
  • Independent workplace investigations, including complaints against senior leaders and whistleblowing
  • M&A HR advisory - pre-deal HR due diligence, integration planning, and post-close people integration for owners, investors, and advisers
  • Leadership team development, Insights Discovery facilitation, and executive coaching
  • Multi-state HR compliance for US businesses
  • 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

Jo works with owners and senior leaders — founders, CEOs, COOs, and in-house HR leaders. Sectors include manufacturing, construction, logistics, professional services, nonprofits, and technology and growth-stage startups.

Jo holds SHRM-CP certification, a PGDip in HRM (UK Level 7), is a licensed Insights Discovery practitioner, and serves as AVP of Programs for Raleigh Metro SHRM. She is a member of the Cary Chamber of Commerce and the Apex Chamber of Commerce.

Signature approach: helping businesses see what great management can deliver together - and building the company-wide frameworks and tools that create a solid business, one able to navigate all kinds of situations, with clarity, confidence, and integrity.

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