Joining any organisation brings fresh perspectives, but joining one during a significant milestone makes the opportunity even more compelling.

For Sarah Cleobury, who recently joined Salus as Head of People and Culture, the move coincided with an exciting point in the company’s journey. Following its transition to employee ownership, Salus is entering a new chapter – one built on more than two decades of technical excellence, while looking ahead to the future of its people, culture and continued growth.

With extensive experience leading people strategy across regulated professional services organisations, Sarah brings a practical, commercially minded approach centred on creating environments where both people and businesses thrive.

Why Sarah Cleobury Joined Salus

Having worked across large organisations, acquisitions and periods of significant change, Sarah wasn’t necessarily looking for a larger business. She was looking for the right one.

“I liked that it was an SME with a genuine family feel,” she explains. “Joining during the move to employee ownership felt like the right time because everyone is starting this new chapter together.”

Employee ownership was another important factor.

“I’ve worked in businesses backed by private equity and organisations driven by shareholder expectations. Employee ownership felt different. It felt much more aligned with building something for the long term.”

Her previous experience working alongside surveyors also made building control a natural fit.

“I’ve always enjoyed working with surveyors. They’re naturally curious, intelligent people who enjoy solving problems and challenging ideas. That really suits how I like to work.”

More than anything, she saw opportunity.

“I could see there was plenty of opportunity to build on the strong foundations already in place and continue developing the people offering. That’s what really excited me.”

First Impressions of Life at Salus

Several weeks into the role, Sarah says the culture she experienced during the recruitment process has proved to be authentic.

“The culture has been exactly what I hoped it would be. Everybody has been welcoming, approachable and genuinely willing to help.”

One aspect that immediately stood out was the accessibility of the leadership team.

“There isn’t that feeling of hierarchy where decisions disappear into layers of approval. If I have an idea, I can have a conversation with Steven or Stuart and quite often the answer is simply, ‘Let’s give it a go.’ That’s incredibly refreshing.”

Having spent much of her career in larger organisations, she believes this ability to make decisions quickly creates momentum and encourages innovation.

Just as importantly, she has been struck by the genuine care people have for one another.

“I’ve been really impressed by how much managers genuinely care about their people – it’s not something said for effect, but something consistently demonstrated.”

(L to R) Pamela Lyon (Learning and Development Co Ordinator), Reena Ford (People Advisor), Sarah Cleobury (Head of People and Culture), Anjali Visram-Bhana (People Advisor)

Creating a Strong People and Culture Strategy

Sarah is clear that her role isn’t about changing what already works.

Instead, it’s about strengthening existing foundations while helping the People function become an even more strategic partner to the wider business.

Among the opportunities she has already identified are introducing an engagement survey, reviewing the employee benefit offering, introducing better people reporting, and developing systems that reduce administration and create more time for value-adding work.

“I want People to be represented around the leadership table because that’s where we can have the biggest impact. When you understand what’s happening across the business, you can make better decisions that support both the organisation and the people within it.”

The ambition is simple: ensure people strategy supports business strategy from the very beginning.

Why Employee Ownership Matters

As an employee-owned business, Salus places people at the centre of its long-term success.

Although employee ownership is new to Sarah, she believes one area will become increasingly important.

“For me, it’s about employee voice. It’s making sure people genuinely feel listened to, consulted and involved in how the business develops.”

Rather than viewing employee ownership simply as a business structure, she sees it as an opportunity to strengthen engagement and encourage greater collaboration across the organisation.

“We’ve got some exciting conversations ahead about what that can look like.”

Investing in Learning and Development

One of Sarah’s biggest observations has been Salus’ commitment to learning and professional development.

“I’ve never worked for a business of this size that has someone dedicated full-time to learning and development.”

For a building control consultancy, where continuing professional development is fundamental, she believes that investment reflects the wider culture of the business.

“It shows that development isn’t simply expected because of professional requirements. It’s genuinely valued.”

Recruitment and Careers in Building Control

Like many businesses across the sector, Salus recognises the ongoing challenge of attracting qualified building control professionals.

For Sarah, recruitment isn’t simply about filling vacancies.

It’s about creating an environment where talented people choose to build long-term careers.

“Learning, wellbeing, trust, autonomy and good leadership all play a part.”

When asked why someone should consider joining Salus, her answer reflects the reasons she joined herself.

“If you want to work somewhere that values quality over volume, where you’re trusted to do your job well and where you can genuinely make a difference, Salus offers that opportunity.”

What Makes People Stay?

Throughout the conversation, one theme returned again and again: culture.

For Sarah, long-term careers are built on much more than salary.

“It’s about finding somewhere your values align with the business. It becomes somewhere you genuinely enjoy being.”

She also believes leadership plays a significant role.

“People stay because they trust their managers, they feel supported and they know they’re valued.”

Those qualities, she believes, are already deeply embedded within Salus.

Looking Ahead

Sarah is already excited by what lies ahead. There are opportunities to improve systems, strengthen onboarding, enhance employee wellbeing and use meaningful people data to support better decision-making.

Most importantly, she wants the People function to become an integral part of shaping the future of the business.

For Sarah, the next chapter at Salus isn’t about starting again.

It’s about building on a culture that already exists, supporting the people who make the business what it is, and helping ensure Salus continues to be a place where talented people choose to build their careers.