Deborah Challinor

Deborah Challinor is a Partner within the People Development capability at Davies. She has dedicated her career towards helping organisations improve performance by placing people at the centre of change, particularly during growth, transformation, or increased complexity.

Deborah’s experience spans organisation design, workforce planning, and capability development across multiple sectors, including energy, pharmaceuticals, technology, and financial services. This cross‑sector background shapes her perspective and allows her to bring proven approaches from outside financial services into regulated environments, adapting them to suit different cultures, leadership expectations, and operating models.

Her current focus is on creating high‑performing organisations through integrated people strategies. This includes building critical capabilities through learning and development, defining career frameworks and progression pathways, and supporting organisations to adopt new ways of working.

Clients value Deborah’s ability to think beyond surface‑level challenges. She considers not just what organisations are trying to change, but how teams experience that change and what leaders need to enable long‑term success. Deborah pays close attention to how process changes, technology implementation, and behavioural shifts interact, ensuring people remain connected to the purpose and outcomes of transformation.

Success, for Deborah, is reflected in practical improvements in organisational effectiveness and the confidence leaders gain as a result of the work delivered together.

Beyond her client work, Deborah serves as a trustee for a charity supporting young children with complex needs and volunteers in a hospital setting, reflecting her long‑standing commitment to care, empathy, and community involvement.