Team - Ruth Smyth

Ruth Smyth

Ruth Smyth

Group Chief People Officer

Ruth started her career at PwC in an HR consulting role and has since worked in a number of people and culture leadership roles, most recently as the managing director of people and culture in a fast-growing PE-backed global business.

She joined Gravita in September 2024 as the Group’s Chief People Officer, aiming to cultivate an environment where people can succeed, and decisions are made from a foundation of strong values. Her strong belief is that businesses flourish when people can be themselves and are trusted and supported to do great work. She is particularly passionate about enabling flexibility in the workplace.

Outside of work, she is a trustee of MacIntyre, chairing their remuneration committee. She is also a part-time executive assistant and chauffeur for her children’s varied social calendar.

Services

Leadership team

Sectors

Professional and Business Services

Locations

Autumn Budget 2026: UK tax changes to prepare for now

17th September 2026
Written by: Ashley Stoller
Another Budget is approaching, which means another round of speculation. Pensions, property, inheritance tax. Everyone has a prediction, and usually a fairly compelling reason why you should be worried about it. But before we get...
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Autumn Budget 2026: What could it mean for business tax?

17th September 2026
Written by: Ian Timms
As we approach the Autumn Budget, businesses are unfortunately once again assessing where the Chancellor may look to raise revenue. While major headline tax rises are always possible, recent Budgets have shown that governments often...
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Autumn Budget 2026: What could it mean for your personal tax?

15th September 2026
Written by: Michaela Lamb
As is tradition here at Gravita, we do like to think about what the contents of an upcoming Budget might be.  Again, this government have been rather less loose lipped about what they are planning...
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Autumn Budget 2026: The hidden cost of frozen tax thresholds

15th September 2026
Written by: Ashley Stoller
With the Budget approaching, the annual guessing game is getting going. What will go up? What might disappear? And should we all be doing something before the Chancellor stands up? But while everyone watches for...
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When should a business appoint a Finance Director?

11th September 2026
Written by: Tanveer Mahtab-Ahmed
Many business owners assume a Finance Director (FD) is something only larger companies need. In reality, you don’t have to be a large organisation to benefit from senior financial expertise. As your business grows, financial...
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FRS 102 debt modifications: Common accounting pitfalls and what finance teams need to know

10th September 2026
Written by: Joseph Brewer
In an environment of higher borrowing costs, refinancing activity and evolving lender relationships, many businesses are renegotiating their debt arrangements. Whether a company secures an extension to its repayment schedule, amends interest terms, capitalises interest...
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Fraud in Business: Understanding employee fraud

9th September 2026
Written by: Jade Quaintance
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Payroll myths busted: Separating fact from fiction

8th September 2026
 
Payroll affects every business, yet it’s one of the areas most commonly surrounded by misconceptions. From tax codes and expenses to redundancy payments and starter processes, there are plenty of  payroll myths that can lead...
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