The CME Personnel Consultancy Limited was founded in 1987 by Caroline Elsey, who brought with her seventeen years of valuable experience in payroll and personnel roles at Chase Manhattan Bank (now part of J.P. Morgan). During her time there, Caroline was part of a large team managing payroll for a workforce of 1,500 employees. This experience sparked her curiosity about how smaller companies handled their payroll and employee obligations.

Caroline was surprised to discover that many smaller employers were often unaware of their responsibilities and struggled with accurate payroll calculations. Motivated by this gap, she decided to use her expertise to support and guide these businesses, helping them navigate the complexities of payroll and compliance.

Today, Caroline shares the leadership of CME with Gemma, her co-director. While Caroline enjoys a well-earned retirement and takes a more advisory role, Gemma leads the company’s day-to-day operations with passion and dedication.

Gemma brings a wealth of experience in payroll management. She started her career as a part-time payroll administrator and steadily progressed to become a full-time Payroll & Pensions Manager before stepping into her role as Director of CME. Gemma is fully trained and accredited by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP), a full CIPP member, and a proud recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Support Award from the Association of Bureau Managers. She is also listed on the Reward 300, recognizing her as one of the leading professionals in the payroll sector.