Personal Development

Interview with John Ainley, HR director of Aviva

As HRD of Aviva, John Ainley's people strategies are driven by the rebranding of the insurance company and the over-arching 'One Aviva' mantra that applies to customers and staff.

Claire Silvester is the new UK HR, director at Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services

In her new role Silvester will be responsible for HR at the company's aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul business. Vector's UK presence was expanded when the company acquired the DARA (Defence...

View from the Top: Interview with James Timpson managing director of Timpsons

The CEO's view of HR has a huge impact on the role of the HRD. In the first of a new series James Timpson reveals his unconventional take on how the function should work.

Interview with Jackie Orme chief executive of the CIPD

Enough of the navel-gazing: if HR is to deliver to the business it should stop relying on one or two bright sparks and work together to raise the bar. So what is CIPD chief Jackie Orme going to do...

My First Job - David Smith HR director at LV=

My first job was when I was 13.I ran my own business buying bikes, taking them apart, re-spraying them and rebuilding them. I would then sell them in the local newspaper sometimes making a 25% margin.

Hazel Warhurst has joined Daisy Group as group head of HR

Warhurst joins from Eurotel, the Halifax-based telecoms company acquired by Daisy in August last year. She has worked in HR for the past 15 years, holding senior management roles in manufacturing and...

Interview with Dame Kelly Holmes

Peter Crush talks to Dame Kelly Holmes about her new charity, which aims to convince HR directors that retired sportspeople can transfer their winning attributes to the business arena.

British Airways boss Willie Walsh calls threatened strike unjustified - staff package is "fair and reasonable"

British Airways claims its package for staff is "fair and reasonable" despite as many as 13,500 union members planning a 12-day strike over Christmas.

Senior interims can provide the 'just in time' skills to keep an organisation agile and competitive

HR directors and other senior executives have had their mettle seriously tested during the recession. Not only have their own departments, like many others, faced severe cuts, but they have taken...

People engagement was compromised before recession so organisations could enjoy short term financial success

The recession not only exposed failures and excess in the financial sector, but diverted attention from similar weaknesses that existed across British businesses, including lack of people engagement,...

HR directors find themselves in the glare of the pensions spotlight

A decade or so ago when workplace pensions were predominately defined-benefit (DB) schemes, day-to-day responsibility would have rested with the pensions manager and his or her team. Members of the HR...

Exclusive: The marketing director could be the new HRD, HR Leaders Club members are warned

If HR is not strategic and business-focused, another part of the business could take over the role, HR directors have been warned.