Target HR Origins
Discover the origins of Target HR
Les Potton
The story of Target HR begins with its founder, Les Potton, who grew up in East London in the 1970s. As an only child, Les quickly learned independence, spending his weekends working at Romford Market and in local shops to save for the things he wanted. Those early experiences taught him the value of resilience, hard work and self-sufficiency, qualities that would underpin his future career.
Les started out in the insurance industry, where he rose through the ranks into management. The work itself did not inspire him, but the people did. He discovered a knack for motivating teams, developing others, and paying attention to the details that made a difference. That realisation eventually led him to move into HR and training, where he could combine his leadership experience with a genuine interest in people.
After more than 20 years in corporate roles and a couple of life-changing redundancies, Les took the leap to set up on his own. In 2008, he founded Target HR with a simple idea: to give small and medium-sized businesses the kind of clear, personal, and pragmatic HR advice usually reserved for bigger companies. Free from corporate politics, he thrived on the variety of clients and the chance to make a direct impact.
Over the next 16 years, Les built the consultancy into a trusted partner for businesses across many sectors. He loved helping leaders navigate people challenges and always believed that “sweating the small stuff” was the key to great service and lasting success.
In 2021, as he looked to the future, the timing felt right to step back. His son, Luke, had joined the business and quickly proved himself, taking on the role of Managing Consultant and carrying the business forward. For Les, it was the perfect transition, seeing Target HR continue as a family-led consultancy built on the same values he started with.
Now retired, Les looks back with pride at the business he created from scratch, and at the many clients who trusted him along the way. His legacy of resilience, hard work, and attention to detail continues to shape Target HR today.
Luke Potton
Luke has been fascinated by leadership and people management from a young age, drawing inspiration from sports coaches, historical figures, and fictional leaders on how to get the best out of people. His first taste of management came at just 16 years old when, while working part-time, he was entrusted with running the local fish and chip shop.
Although he had initially planned to go to university, that early experience convinced Luke that managing people was his true calling. Determined to start his career straight away, he secured a coveted place on Travelodge’s hotel management apprenticeship programme, one of only 17 chosen from over 1,000 applicants. He progressed quickly and, at the age of 21, was given the keys to his first hotel in Brighton.
Throughout his 20s, Luke managed hotels and restaurants for leading brands including Whitbread and Pizza Express. His passion for leadership development saw him take on responsibility for designing and delivering regional management development programmes, while also championing HR and employee relations. Alongside running business units with revenues of up to £1.5 million, he gained extensive experience in HR matters, from disciplinary and grievance investigations to collective consultations across the wider region.
Luke after graduating from the Travelodge Management Apprenticeship programme and securing an Assistant Hotel Manager role at the age of 20
Thumbs up from Ainsley Harriot after cooking him a Chicken Makhani curry!
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Luke was placed on furlough and had time to reflect on his career. He realised that the day-to-day demands of running hotels and restaurants were no longer fulfilling and that he wanted a better balance between work and life. More importantly, he recognised that his true vocation was to use his hands-on leadership experience to provide training, coaching, and HR advice to other managers.
In 2021, Luke turned to his father, Les, for career guidance. Les had been running Target HR since 2008 and was beginning to consider his options for stepping back. At the same time, one of the company’s longest-serving consultants had decided to retire. With the timing right, Luke joined Target HR in October 2021 as an HR Consultant. He undertook further intensive study in employment law and quickly took on client consultancy and account management responsibilities.
A significant milestone came in February 2023 when Les stepped away from day-to-day operations and Luke was promoted to Managing Consultant, taking on full responsibility for running the business.
In September 2024, Les fully retired and Luke became Director of Target HR. He is now focused on building on the strong foundations laid by his father, leading the consultancy into its next chapter of growth and success.
Luke during a Football vs Cancer Charity Match, sponsored by Target HR