Helen Dickens

Helen Dickens joined HR Wallingford in 2026 as Director of People and Culture. She is responsible for shaping and delivering our people agenda, supporting a positive, inclusive and high‑performing culture across our consultancy, software and manufacturing teams. Her remit includes organisational development, leadership, talent, learning and wellbeing, ensuring that people practices enable HR Wallingford’s purpose to help communities live and work sustainably with water.

Helen began her career in environmental research, completing a PhD in Environmental Biology before moving into the people profession. She has since developed extensive experience in STEM‑focused and purpose‑driven environments, working closely with scientists, engineers and specialist teams.

Her career includes senior people leadership roles at Vyaire Medical, Johnson & Johnson, Shire Pharmaceuticals and Symantec, where she supported complex organisations through periods of growth, change and transformation. Most recently, Helen served as Head of People and Culture at parkrun, the global health and wellbeing charity. As its first strategic people lead, she developed global strategies for employees and volunteers, embedding consistent values‑based approaches across the organisation.

A Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, Helen is known for her collaborative and evidence‑informed approach, with a particular focus on aligning purpose, people and performance. She brings a strong understanding of the needs of technical and purpose‑led organisations and plays a key role in strengthening HR Wallingford’s culture and capability for the future.