For Jane Waters and Tracey Rowe, co-founders of 52.com, their business isn’t just a new chapter in their HR careers – it’s a reinvention of what HR can and should be.
After decades of holding senior HR executive roles around the globe, Jane and Tracey saw a growing disconnect in the profession: HR had become heavy with process and policy, but light on true business value and people impact.
“We’d fallen out of love with HR,” says Tracey. “It became monotonous – process-driven to the point of losing its soul. What we’ve done at 52.com is rediscovered our purpose and reignited our passion by doing HR differently, with meaning and impact.”
That difference is clear: 52.com was built to provide fractional HR leadership – strategic, executive-level HR support designed for growing businesses who don’t need or want full-time hires but still crave depth, experience and business-aligned people solutions.
“When we started the business, we were doing what so many founders do in the early stages – deeply involved in every detail,” Jane explains. “But after a couple of years, we took a step back and said, ‘This works. So, what’s next?’ That’s when it really clicked – we weren’t building a consulting business, we were building a movement to reframe HR.”
At its heart, 52.com is about pragmatism over theory. Not initiatives for initiative’s sake, but tangible work that helps people do their best.
“We see so many organisations focus on creating hundreds of policies,” Jane adds. “But if you get the manager-individual engagement right, you often negate the need for all of that. It’s about enabling people, not drowning them in policy.”
High-impact HR style
For Jane and Tracey, fractional HR isn’t just a smart resourcing model – it’s a mindset. Clients get a slice of seasoned wisdom and commercial insight that’s adapted to their business, not a generic playbook of traditional HR policies and procedures.
“Fractional means you get what you need, when you need it,” Tracey says. “You’re not stuck with a full-time salaried HR director or a consulting bill for work that hasn’t landed.”
52.com now boasts a growing bench of like-minded HR professionals who work closely with Tracey and Jane and their clients in their distinctive, no-nonsense, high-impact style.
“It’s not just the Jane and Tracey show,” Jane says. “We have a network of HR experts we trust and rate – people who get it, and who deliver in a way that’s aligned to our values.”
What sets them apart is the commitment to ongoing partnership over quick fix solutions. “We’ve never seen ourselves as consultants,” says Tracey. “We work alongside our clients. We stay as long as we’re adding value, and we’re honest when it’s time for us to step away.”
That authenticity has led to long-term relationships with clients who continue to return – sometimes years later – for new projects, advice, or support.
A different way to work
“We don’t chase permanence,” Tracey adds. “We chase impact. If the work is done and the business is thriving, we’ll say, ‘You’re good now. Call us when you need us again’.”
Their client base is as varied as their experience – from entrepreneurs building HR from scratch to established corporates needing a cultural reset, to international businesses expanding across Africa and the Middle East.
And while they never set out to create a conventional consulting firm, what they’ve built is quietly becoming a movement – one that many in the HR industry find themselves gravitating toward.
“We started 52.com with a combined 52 years of experience – that’s where the name came from,” Jane shares. “But today, it’s not about the years. It’s about what we do with them.”
Their message to fellow HR professionals?
“There’s a different way to do this work,” Tracey says. “One that honours the people, respects the business, and delivers impact – not jargon. And we’re here to share that journey.”
Tracey Rowe holds a master’s in leadership, performance and change management, and has been HR director for various international investment banks. Jane Waters is an experienced HR leader with global experience in professional services, investment banking and hospitality.
