Our Mission
At Drive HR we deliver “HR that takes you from here…to…thrive”. A lofty but achievable goal enabled through our thought leading advice, programs and partnership. More than just HR specialists, we are problem solvers who use scientific, strength-based methodologies to explore what is working well and how best to leverage and amplify success. The outcome is highly engaged and productive teams.
Our greatest joy and reward comes from witnessing our clients thriving.
Clients engage Drive HR to help create environments where people come to do their best work and in doing so, the organisation thrives too. We build effective teams, programs and initiatives that deliver transformational change.
Engagements range from discrete consulting assignments, to going in-house as an interim leader for the people and culture function and working with boards on strategy and performance. We won’t take your trust in us for granted. We treat your business like it is our own.
In our executive coaching practice, we work with individuals who want to flourish at work. We bring deep functional and commercial expertise to supporting professionals to unlock personal insights, optimising strengths, improving job satisfaction, and elevating performance.
Joanne Allen
Joanne (Jo) Allen is the founder and Principal of Drive HR. Jo is a global player. She has lived and worked in senior roles on three continents in Australia, London, and Hong Kong.
Jo began her career in local government where she worked alongside the General Manager, supporting the transformation of the organisation and the HR function. Jo then spent several years with a national law firm in HR leadership before relocating to London and joining Citi. Jo delivered HR services for a pan-European global corporate banking business. After transitioning back to Australia, she continued to support this business in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to these roles, Jo was an ‘internal consultant’ for Citi, running pan-region HR projects from London, Sydney and then later from Hong Kong.
In 2007 Jo established her own human resources consulting business before being invited to return to Citi in 2010 as the Head of HR for Australia/NZ. Jo led the function for 4 years before resigning to launch Drive HR. Jo prides herself in bringing deep expertise and know-how to clients looking to build cultures where people want to work at their best. Jo has experience working with large and small clients, white and blue-collar workplaces across multiple industries including professional services, sales & manufacturing, technology, telecommunications, construction, utilities and public sector organisations.
Jo has led award-winning HR teams, is an accredited change professional and strengths practitioner who has helped multiple businesses to transform by restructuring and optimising the people function.
What truly differentiates Jo is that she has been a senior leader client-side and understands the demands and pressures on leaders and businesses, especially those going through change. Jo’s clients describe her as a warm, authentic and professional partner, who is ‘all in’.