Group chief people officer, London South Bank University Group
April 2020 – Present
I joined a friendly and ambitious team which focuses on leading transformation and driving an inclusive employee experience. Some 30,000 UK and global students are successful because our people are passionate about learning. I am especially proud of my team who have led new ways of working and focused on wellbeing during the pandemic. Â
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Group executive director of people and organisational development, London South Bank University Group
July 2019 – March 2020
I was attracted by the purpose and ethos of the Group and had to hit the ground running in a fast-paced environment.
I worked on post-merger cultural change and learned how to engage in the development of people strategies across a group of organisations. Â
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Director of HR and organisational development (interim), London Borough of Hounslow
April 2018 – June 2019
Here I worked on a transition, moving all staff to a new location and developing a great culture. I developed my understanding of group organisational structures and supported the incoming CEO to shape his new team. I had some lovely colleagues, and we had a fun time finding ingenious ways to spend the Apprenticeship Levy. Â
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Head of HR, BBC
October 2013 – March 2018
I learnt the importance of building networks in a large company. There is a buzz in media- coffee catch-ups were standard practice and as a result I tried every flavour latte. Â
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Assistant director of HR/head of people services, London Borough of Brent
October 2007 – June 2013
Here I was given the opportunity to take on increasingly senior roles and it made me the CPO I am now. I led a team of 60 and we worked together to deliver two organisation-wide change programmes. I discovered the importance of treating people well during times of downsizing. Â
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Global HR manager/HR business partner, British Airways/Transport for London
November 2005 – June 2007
These roles developed my experience in managing international change and employee relations as well as appreciating the benefits of HR business partnering. Â
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Head of HR, Harrow Primary Care Trust
December 2003 – November 2005
This early head of service role developed my leadership skills, gave me my first experience of leading organisational change and expanded to include learning and development. Â
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Top three career tips
- Give others credit for the work they do and acknowledge them publicly.
- Understand and address the lived experiences of all sections of the workforce to ensure an inclusive employee experience.
- Don’t put off difficult conversations, act quickly to stop small issues becoming big problems.
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The full piece of the above appears in the March/April 2021 print issue. Subscribe today to have all our latest articles delivered right