Built for ambitious businesses that put people first
Whether you're just starting out or scaling fast, we tailor our support to where you are — and where you're headed.
Startups
Building your team from the ground up? Get the people foundations right from day one — hiring practices, culture, values, and policies that set you up for long-term success.
Growing fast and need HR to keep pace? We help you build the structure, processes and culture that scale with you — without losing what makes you great.
Established businesses ready to professionalise their people approach. We bring senior HR expertise without the cost of a full-time hire — practical, proportionate, and impactful.
Senior leaders navigating change, complexity or growth. We work alongside you on strategy, team dynamics, and the coaching conversations that make the biggest difference.
We partner with businesses to build the foundations that turn good companies into great places to work.
Practical & Pragmatic
No jargon, no fluff. We deliver real, actionable HR solutions designed for your business — not a generic template. Every recommendation is built to work in your world.
A True Partner
We embed ourselves in your business, understand your challenges, and work alongside you. Think of us as your HR team — without the full-time cost.
Results You Can See
From reducing attrition to building high-performing teams, we measure what matters and keep your people strategy connected to your commercial goals.
What We Do
How Stellar People can help
Strategic HR expertise across the areas that matter most — from AI transformation and performance architecture to hiring, culture and compliance.
AI Readiness & People Transformation
Future-proof your workforce. Lead the AI shift with confidence. We assess your organisation's AI maturity, design a practical adoption roadmap, and build the governance, capability and cultural readiness for sustainable integration — ensuring technology enhances, not replaces, your people strategy.
Performance Architecture & Leadership Systems
Design clarity. Drive accountability. Accelerate growth. We build performance frameworks that align strategy, leadership behaviours and measurable outcomes — from KPI architecture and talent reviews to succession planning and board-ready reporting.
HR Strategy & Advisory
Align people strategy with commercial objectives. We partner with founders and leadership teams to define scalable people strategies that support growth, restructuring or transformation. Clear priorities. Commercial thinking. Execution with confidence.
Fractional & Interim HR
Senior HR expertise — without the full-time commitment. Embedded, flexible HR leadership to support scaling businesses. Whether navigating growth, change or operational complexity, we provide steady hands and strategic direction when you need it most.
Recruitment & Talent
Hire for performance, not just potential. We design performance-based hiring frameworks, optimise candidate experience, and strengthen employer brand positioning to attract and retain high-impact talent.
Culture & Engagement
Build workplaces people choose to stay in. From employee listening strategies to values alignment and engagement design, we help you create cultures rooted in trust, clarity and accountability.
Learning & Leadership Development
Develop capability at every level. We design modern learning ecosystems, leadership frameworks and growth pathways that move beyond one-off training into sustainable capability building.
Mentoring & Executive Coaching
Unlock potential. Strengthen confidence. Accelerate progression. Structured mentoring and coaching programmes for founders, leaders and professionals navigating growth, transition or complexity.
HR Compliance & Governance
Protect the business. Enable best practice. Clear, modern employment frameworks that ensure compliance while supporting a high-performance culture. Practical. Proportionate. Future-ready.
About Estelle
Strategic thinking. Human approach. Real results.
A People and Talent advisor with over 20 years of international experience, I help leaders build strong, resilient, high-performing teams. My focus is practical and people-first — improving how organisations hire, develop and retain talent in ways that genuinely drive results.
I have extensive experience leading People functions through growth, transformation and M&A across technology, FinTech, banking and consultancy — so I bring hands-on operational delivery, not just theory.
Alongside my consultancy work, I serve on several boards and mentor women in business and technology, particularly those navigating growth, reinvention or challenging transitions.
Talent strategy & coaching
Supporting founders and leadership teams with career coaching, leadership development and job-search workshops.
H+AI integration
Helping organisations integrate AI into HR processes and equip teams to use AI responsibly and effectively.
Board advisory & mentoring
Serving on boards and mentoring women in business and technology navigating growth, reinvention or challenging transitions.
"Clear thinking, honest conversations — that's how I work. I believe when people are genuinely supported, remarkable things happen for the business."
Estelle
Founder, Stellar People · People & Talent Advisor
Client Stories
What our clients say
Real results from real businesses we've had the privilege to work with.
★★★★★
"Estelle has a rare gift — she makes the complex feel simple and the uncomfortable feel safe. She came into our business at a pivotal moment and helped us shape a culture we're genuinely proud of. If you're serious about your people, she's the person to call."
Nadia V.
CEO, Tech Scale-up · Amsterdam
★★★★★
"We thought we just needed a handbook. Estelle quickly showed us we needed a whole people strategy. Working with her reshaped how we hire, how we lead, and how we hold onto great people. The ROI has been significant."
Thomas H.
Managing Director · Rotterdam
★★★★★
"The coaching sessions with Estelle genuinely changed the way I lead. She has a warmth and directness that makes you feel challenged and supported at the same time. I came out of every session with clarity I didn't have going in."
Sophie M.
Head of Operations · Utrecht
Insights
HR Thinking & Perspectives
Practical insights on people strategy, leadership, culture, and the future of work.
16 articles
HiringFeb 2026
How to Hire the Right Talent
Hiring is one of the most important things you'll do in business — and one of the most misunderstood. A wrong hire is disruptive, costly, and demoralising. Here's a practical, no-nonsense guide to getting it right the first time.
I once tried to lead by copying my CEO. Big mistake. Real leadership has nothing to do with imitation — and everything to do with trust, presence and knowing your own why. Here's what I actually learned.
Embracing Social Well-being in the World of Hybrid Work
When I moved from a buzzing school into hybrid work, I lost my entire social ecosystem overnight. It was eye-opening. Here's what I learned about keeping genuine human connection alive in a digital-first world.
35% of employees who don't receive mentoring in their first 12 months start looking for another job. That's not a stat to scroll past. Here's why mentoring is one of the smartest investments your business can make.
Most feedback is either so soft it's pointless or so blunt it leaves a bruise. There's a better way. Building a culture where feedback is genuinely welcomed takes intention — but the payoff is enormous.
Coaching vs Mentoring: What's the Difference and Why It Matters
People use coaching and mentoring interchangeably — and that mix-up costs businesses time, money and the trust of their people. Here's a clear, jargon-free breakdown of what each actually is and when to use which.
Fostering Accountability and Setting Goals That Actually Stick
Without accountability, even the best teams drift. Goals on a slide deck don't count. Here's how to build a culture where people hold themselves — and each other — to a higher standard, without it feeling like a performance review.
Hiring the right person is just step one. The businesses that win long-term are the ones that never stop investing in their people's growth. Here's how to make learning part of the DNA — not an annual box-ticking exercise.
Your people are already telling you what's broken. The question is whether you're actually listening — or just running an annual survey and hoping for the best. Continuous listening is a mindset shift that changes everything.
Goal Setting for Employee Success: SMART Goals That Actually Work
SMART goals aren't just a management school cliché — when done well, they're one of the most powerful tools you have for keeping people engaged, focused and genuinely growing. Here's how to make them land.
Career Adaptability: Why Your Own Story Is Your Greatest Asset
Career adaptability sounds like a buzzword — it isn't. It's the difference between someone who thrives through change and someone who gets derailed by it. And your own story? That's the secret weapon you're probably not using.
Mentoring programmes that start with real energy often go stale fast. The problem usually isn't the mentee — it's the structure. Here's how to keep the momentum going from first session to last.
Good mentoring is about more than showing up and dispensing wisdom. It takes honesty, humility, and a genuine belief in the person you're guiding. Here's what great mentoring actually looks like in practice.
You hired someone brilliant. Now what? The companies that get the most from their people are the ones that never stop investing in them. Here's how mentoring builds a learning culture that genuinely sticks.
The average person changes jobs 10–12 times in their career. If you're not actively building loyalty and growth into your culture, you're just another stop on someone's journey. Here's how to become the destination.
85% of jobs are filled through networking. Yet most people would rather do their tax return than walk into a room of strangers. Here's how to get genuinely good at it — and maybe even enjoy it.
Every business is different. Tell us a little about yours and we'll come back to you within one working day to arrange a free, no-obligation discovery call.
