Austin began her career in HR in 1997 with BAE Systems. Following the BAE Systems graduate development programme Austin joined CooperVision, an international contact lens manufacturer, in 2000.
She held her first HR management role with Delta Electrical a year later. Delta's acquisition by US-based industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation led to a wide range of opportunities across the globe, and Austin held a number of HR management roles supporting US and EMEA facilities in several organisational restructures. She joined the HR team at Costain in 2005 working in a variety of HR roles and became group HR director in 2014 and a member of the executive board.
In August 2019 Austin joined Wincanton, the largest third-party logistics company in the UK, as group HR director. She's responsible for defining and delivering the people strategy across the business. Main areas of focus include executive board strategy development, remuneration committee matters, group-wide HR operations, recruitment, learning and development, engagement, HR shared services and pensions.
Austin is a fellow of the CIPD and an alumni member of INSEAD following completion of its advanced management programme in 2015. She also holds a BSc in psychology.
Externally Austin is a non-executive director/foundation governor of Warwick Independent Schools Foundation and chair of governors for King’s High School in Warwick.
She lives in Maidenhead and is married with two young children.
