Louise Robinson

Increasing flexibility, widening access and honing in on equity are fast becoming key focus areas for those in people management, particularly considering the evolving landscape businesses currently find themselves in.

Chris Mansfield, GoodCourse’s Co-Founder, sat down with Louise Robinson, People Director at Ampa Group, the parent group of legal services firm Shakespeare Martineau and a diverse portfolio of other professional services brands. With over 20 years of broad experience spanning HR, talent, learning, and operations, Louise discussed the dynamics of leading people strategy across multiple brands and shared insights on fostering inclusion and belonging.

Louise's Journey

Chris: To kick things off, could you introduce yourself and provide a quick overview of Ampa Group for context?

Of course, happy to. I’m Louise Robinson, recently appointed as People Director at Ampa Group back in January of this year. Ampa is a group covering a number of brands, the majority being our legal services offerings such as Shakespeare Martineau and Mayowin Baxter. But we also have consumer law firm Lime, uninsured loss recovery firm Corclaim, and consultancies like Coadax and Marron’s Strategy. So it’s quite a diverse portfolio of professional services brands.  

Chris: Looking back on your career so far, what led you to pursue senior people leadership roles?  

I’ve worked in a mix of HR and people roles for over 20 years now across quite a spectrum of organisations — everything from startups to tech firms to public sector bodies. Over half my career has been within legal services specifically, in a range of capacities – from advisory and business partnering roles early on to more focused remits in talent, learning and development, and later, general people operations. The common thread that still appeals is simply creating the right people experience to attract, retain and make a positive impact on careers and professional growth. On the flip side, it’s also about continually adapting to evolving business landscapes and guiding organisations through change. 

Chris: Let’s hone in on Shakespeare Martineau. I noticed you publicly share quite robust diversity data, which is great. How does that level of transparency aid you in working towards your diversity and inclusion aims? 

The transparency absolutely links to our organisational values and culture. And gaining B Corp accreditation reinforced that ethos even further this year. While we know we can always improve, some clear priority areas include improving gender balance, increasing ethnic diversity, and enhancing social mobility routes into legal services. Maintaining an intersectional lens on all of this is so critical too. We also offer various qualification routes to continue expanding access to law as a career. But constant focus is still required to ensure we have diverse talent progressing into more senior roles.

Chris: On the topic of culture and inclusion, what are some recent initiatives or programmes you’ve been most excited about or proud of since joining Ampa?

Our approach to empowered working has been hugely successful so far, truly providing teams flexibility based on what works best for their unique dynamics, clients and work. Our reverse mentoring program has also received incredibly positive reception in enabling valuable perspective sharing between generations and backgrounds. Additionally, we’ve worked to reinvigorate inclusion groups through our internal EDI network. These groups are employee-led based on shared interests, not top-down mandates, which is so important. And they create fantastic connections across brands.

Chris: What have you found effective that others could potentially learn from?  

Data and statistics illustrating structural disparities are always helpful, as are insights from our B Corp journey on measuring progress. But I’d emphasise the sheer power of being able to share real stories and direct experiences from employees across the organisations. It provides authentic, tangible feedback to keep refining strategies. And ultimately, this work is now simply expected at a basic level by clients, employees and society.  

Chris: If you had just one piece of advice to share with someone interested in pursuing law, consulting or other professional services, what would it be?

I’d advise really understanding the commercial context and client service needs of any organisation you join in these sectors. But mostly, be curious – take every opportunity to attend talks, open days, and seek work experience across different firms and markets early on. I was so inspired by the curiosity and enthusiasm of our recent intern cohort. Maintaining that energy and drive for continual learning is so valuable.

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