Helen Waters

Helen leads Ciarb’s Finance, People and Development, IT, Facilities, Data Insights, Compliance, Procurement, and 12 Bloomsbury Square operations - ensuring they are strategically aligned, future-focused, and delivering at the highest standard.

Helen joined Ciarb in 2023 as Director of People and Development, leading the People function globally and steering through significant organisational change. She has combined her broad operational, financial, and governance experience to strengthen organisational capability. She has also led initiatives to improve recruitment and onboarding, standardise contracts, and enhance Ciarb’s approach to volunteer engagement.

Helen began her career as an economist before joining Marks & Spencer where, for over 12 years, she held a variety of leadership roles. These included managing large stores, leading a £5m refurbishment project, serving as an internal Health and Safety inspector, and acting as Finance and Operations Director for the flagship store – overseeing more than 1,000 staff and a £10m annual operating budget. She later moved into HR, qualifying as an AAT Tax Technician along the way, before bringing her talents to the not-for-profit sector as an HR and Governance Director.