Job Title: Director, human resources and vice president, European, African and Middle Eastern Region
Company: Kodak
Job responsibilities
Managing human resources, pensions, benefits, health and safety and environment for Kodak in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Previous jobs?
A variety of HR roles within Kodak in the UK and at its European office, ranging from manufacturing to supporting the photofinishing laboratories.
What attracted you to HR?
I studied law and found the employment aspects particularly interesting but I did not want to train to be a lawyer. HR seemed to be the obvious profession to be in.
Which of your previous jobs has had the most impact on your current role?
Probably my European role. I learned a lot about the dynamics of a European business and the entrepreneurial style of the photofinishing industry in particular.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Anything that has a positive impact on our customers.
What do you enjoy least about your job?
Anything that is purely internally focused.
What has been your greatest achievement in work?
Managing the HR implications of some of the acquisitions we made recently. Acquiring a company or divesting a business is always demanding in terms of time, energy and resources as people have strong emotional ties to the company they joined.
Who has been the greatest influence on your work?
I have had a number of managers throughout my career who suggested that my next job should be bigger than the one I had in mind.
What advice do you give to people starting out in an HR career?
Get to know the business very well, develop an area of expertise even if you are in a generalist role and keep your HR knowledge and skills up-to-date.
What is the most important contribution that HR makes to business?
It helps managers understand the impact that capable people can have on business and tells them how to get, keep, motivate and develop them.
Which business person do you admire most?
Those who have been bold in their careers, like Yve Newbold. I attended a presentation where she recounted how she had successfully applied for a job where the advertisement had stated that the company was looking for a bright young man.