A human resources expert and local radio presenter, a family man who has spent three years on the road, has returned home to South Wales to set up a company supporting local businesses.

Lee Monroe has spent the past 16 years working for supermarket chain Morrisons across the UK.

The father-of-two has children aged 16 and 13 at his home in Tredegar, where his wife Emma also works full time and looks after his elderly grandmother.

So he has taken the decision to bring his many years of corporate HR experience to the benefit of local SMEs.

The HR Dept Abergavenny, Brecon, Blaenau Gwent & Cwmbran will offer expert outsourced human resources advice and support at a price which smaller businesses can afford.

Mr Monroe is well-known in the area, having presented shows on community radio station BRfm/BGfm for many years. He currently hosts a Sunday breakfast show from 8am to 10am.

Now he faces a new challenge, to develop a business in the local community and apply his years of HR know-how at a grass roots level with local companies.

He said: “It’s going to take some getting used to but I’m really excited about it and I’m looking forward to working with local SMEs.

“I’ve got so much experience to pass on, especially over the past few years with the head office and regional roles I’ve had, which have involved strategic work and policies and procedures for the 498 stores which Morrisons has across the UK.

“Now I need to apply that knowledge at the grass roots level, helping businesses with their people management, from writing handbooks and contracts right up to recruitment and strategic work.”

The HR Dept Abergavenny, Brecon, Blaenau Gwent & Cwmbran is part of an international company with a network of 75 franchisees providing services in 112 territories in the UK, Ireland and Australia.

Licensees provide high-level experience but at an affordable rate for growing businesses, who need the expertise on hand but have neither the need nor the budget for an in-house HR team.