After years as a Group HR Director driving culture change in large organisations, Wendy Dean set out to bring that same transformation blueprint to businesses of all sizes. Backed by trusted mentors and a clear vision, she left corporate life and launched from home – immediately securing major retained clients looking to rethink how their organisations worked.
By the end of year one, Strategi had secured multiple contract wins and made its first acquisition: Improve Managers.
This marked the beginning of learning and development as a core pillar. Programmes like ‘Why Women Don’t Play Golf’ and ‘Aspiring People’ followed – helping individuals build confidence, step into leadership, and unlock new opportunities. More than 100 future union stewards completed these programmes, with immediate, measurable impact.
As the team grew, so did the ambition. Clients weren’t just asking for internal change – they wanted their external presence to reflect it too. This sparked the launch of creative services, starting with the first in-house designer and quickly evolving into full brand and marketing support.
From training materials to full rebrands, Strategi became a partner not just for how businesses operate – but how they show up.
Strategi-hr evolved into Strategi Solutions. A more holistic offer. A more integrated approach. One partner for HR, Learning and Creative – all working together to drive change. This also saw the launch of Total Strategi: a flexible, subscription-based model giving clients access to everything they needed, all in one place.
Growth accelerated. A second acquisition – Theseus Safety – expanded the offer into health & safety and compliance, while the client base grew to include larger organisations.
Strategi found a long-term home. A 3,330 sq ft premises in Newcastle-under-Lyme was purchased and refurbished – creating space to grow the team and welcome clients.
When the pandemic hit, Strategi pivoted quickly. Learning went digital, HR support became critical, and creative helped clients adapt – proving the strength of an integrated approach.
