Astute and commercially minded Senior HR professional with international experience and a background as an engineer. Seasoned and accomplished problem solver. Skilful and authentic communicator, line manager, and possess a diverse skillset. Accomplished at promoting, designing, and delivering the Employee Value Proposition to become an employer of choice. I successfully partner board level executives and line management to proactively address a broad range of business issues with inventiveness, agility and commerciality. I am regarded as a trusted partner to the groups I support with whilst ensuring good culture is at the heart of everything I do. I have operated in a range of different types of companies from bootstrapped/series A funded companies through to highly matrixed and diverse global corporates gained from both direct employment and consulting. I have managed the full suite of HR responsibilities including talent acquisition, policy and process implementation and improvements, performance management, complex restructures and organisational design, succession planning, sensitive employee relations matters, executive and employee development also compensation and benefits. I have worked in in standalone positions on occasions, building out the organisation's HR capability from the group up. Additionally, my established success coaching and managing staff, positions me to make a significant contribution to the organisations I have worked for. I am versed at working with a wide range of countries around the world. Notably Denmark where I lived and worked for a period but also including France, Germany, Ireland, America and South Africa. Prior to working in HR I held a number of engineering roles for the likes of Costain, Skanska and Housing Associations before transitioning to specialise in HR.
Leading and managing the UK and Ireland HR function for the HVAC and rentals businesses reporting to a French regional HQ (American World HQ) with a population of circa 650 across four business units, two of which operate 24/7. The Carrier business was divested from the United Technology Cooperation (UTC) in Q1 2020 which created many challengesfor the business. The business is having to separate from outdated UTC processes and technologies and establish a new operating system. From an HR perspective this means promoting the new HR model whilst working with new Centres of Excellence (CoE) to deliver a new way of working for the UK and Ireland businesses. This work also includes the firming and implementing of a new 'Carrier Way' set of values. Projects include retention, introducing competency frameworks, transitioning to new Europe wide digital systems.
Employed as part of the Northern Europe HR team directly supporting a head count of 350 in the UK and Ireland business unit (BU). Work with the Northern Europe to ensure group policies and processes are implemented and adhered to in the UK and Ireland BU. Act as a trusted advisor, counsel and coach to senior leadership team and managers in the UK and Ireland BU. Business as usual work covers the complete employee lifecycle from recruitment and selection, on-boarding, performance management, wellbeing, sickness, and ER through to exits and of-boarding. Engaged in culture and well-being projects including remote working culture change and, engagement and wellbeing.
Self employed August 2019 – July 2020 Took time out as part of my relocation from Denmark to complete a property development project.
Employed as the HR partner to a Corporate Vice President and their area which consisted of a circa 750 employees including five Directors, four Senior Managers and almost 50 Associate Managers. Responsible for managing the entire HR agenda for the area which produces pharmaceuticals in sterile production areas 24/7 in Denmark. Working as part of a small, regionalised HR team. The population ranged from skilled pharma operators to research academics and clinicians. I also served the support functions finance, IT (hardware and software) and big data teams. I acted as the single point of contact for all HR queries within my line of business relating to all recruitment, performance and conduct cases, promotions and pay increases. I also signposted to, and obtained information and services from, the global Centres of Excellence (COE's) and the global service centre (PeopleSupport). Key achievements in the area were: •Successfully implemented and conducted highly complex pay increase and bonus system for circa 600 employees with 100% accuracy. •Successfully assisted increased engagement scores in over 95% of the business area by partnering with line managers to achieve an employer of choice mindset. •Undertook several high-profile senior leader's ER cases. •Assisted in transforming a divisional laboratory into a global centre of excellence for testing saving some €100m. Responsible for ensuring the HR annual processes are correctly planned executed within the CVP area. Annual process included. •Performance Appraisal •Bonus and salary review (multiple employee groups at different times of the year) •Organisational Review (complete review of the people and strategy for the coming year) •Talent development programmes •OurVoice (Organisation Survey) •Team Development Plans for almost 50 teams •Psychological Risk Assessment In addition to the annual process, I was responsible, principally, for linking the people to the high-level strategy of the business, notably the 'NN Way' and the 'Triple Bottom Line'. This was undertaken through coaching and acting as a sounding board with the departmental directors using information from the annual process such as the Organisational Review, OurVoice and the Psychological Risk Assessment (required under Danish health and safety legislation).
Worked as an HR Business Partner for a global (US headquartered) matrix multidisciplinary engineering consultancy and construction business that delivered utility and process infrastructure around the world. The global business was comprised of 12,000 employees with a UK headcount of circa 1,600. Initially I was employed to assist in the delivery of a corporate restructure and redundancy programme across the UK business, I then stayed to manage the 300% increase in employees for various project wins, undertake a culture change programme, perform a structural organisational redesign of the UK business and BAU work. My responsibilities included: Business Partnering – working closely with the senior leaders of the Organisation to develop an HR agenda and structure that supported the values and aims of the business. Some examples: •Working with the Profit and Loss Leadership team (6) sparing and coaching on day-to-day staffing issues such as performance, promotions, long term sick cases, pay and benefits, disciplinary actions, TUPE, relocations, expat issues including regional security threats. •Liaison with Business Leads to effectively plan and implement HR process to reorganise and reduce the size of the UK head count in response to significant tender losses. This project involved many influential stakeholders operating in different countries and for several different group companies. I managed selection scoring, moderation of scoring, consultation briefings and individual consultations across a diverse range of different engineering disciplines ranging from administration staff and site operatives through to scientists and directors. •Responsible for Organisational design post headcount reduction. •Undertook regular meetings with the Managers/Business Leads to be visible and proactive within the Organisation. Providing ad hoc advice, coaching and resolution in a proactive pre-emptive manner to support the business, providing employment law, best practice and business effective advice. •Managed strategic communication plan to internal and external stakeholders. Evaluated available talent to determine fit to the new business structure, staffed new teams and effectively managed the change process, liaised with external companies and organised recruitment sessions to provide staff with potential employment opportunities externally as well as directing impacted employees to outplacement services. Employment Law Advice and Implementation. Provided the UK business with advice on new employment legislation and case law, and ensured knowledge was shared with UK HR team and business. Responding to organisational change e.g. business transfers, restructures, and redundancies within the law. Handling discipline, grievances and dismissals effectively to minimise the risk of tribunal claims. Some examples: •Case managing extremely complex ER issues, including issues which include UK ex-pats. Handled the appeals and successfully managed legal claims relating to a legacy TUPE issue (dated from 2010). Managing the preparation of the pre-hearings and administering the case management orders. •Due to my experience of complex ER casework was asked to present a knowledge sharing session on using best practice to handle discipline and grievances. Introduced a template for use when conducting investigations. •Established the principles of home working and home-based professionals as part of office closure programme. Wrote a policy which was subsequently adopted by the UK business. Leadership and Management – Had vision of what could be achieved and then communicated this to others and evolve strategies for realising the vision through motivating and supporting others to achieve their goals. Ensured that the available resources were well organised and applied to produce the best results. Some examples: •Led annual performance management processes including training of employees and managers on appraisal system and goals, managed the identified action plans for top talent and low performers, and ensured complete documentation and follow through. Using information gathered, built succession planning, change initiatives and training programs. •Provided guidance to work colleagues and senior company management on employment matters. •Deputised for the HR Director when absent or on holiday as well as acting as a sounding board and working closely alongside creating and implementing HR strategy, policy and direction. Assessing KPI's and looking at the results for suggested change. •Managed an HRBP, two Senior HR Advisors and an HR Coordinator; hired and trained new staff, set employee goals and objectives, develop staff to maximise potential, monitor staff performance including performance reviews, delegate work duties to staff to attain objectives, monitor and assist staff with work progress. Change Agent – Bringing about organisational transformation through focus on organisational effectiveness, improvement, and development. Responsible for managing changes in processes, structures, technologies, and interpersonal and group relationships. Some examples of which are the introduction of standardized graduate interviewing, standardized agency hiring processes including the introduction of an authority matrix, standardization of promotions.
Worked as an HR Consultant for a busy HR consultancy providing strategic and transactional support to small and medium sized business covering a range of sectors and industry. I was promoted from Advisor level to Consultant in early 2012 and acted as official mentor to an HR Advisor due to my progression and expertise in dealing with ER cases. Being part of a multi-disciplinary team to achieve 'best fit' solutions to client's individual needs. Providing an approachable, succinct, and bespoke service. My responsibilities included: •Relationship management; responsible for client management and working with a wide variety of clients on both a proactive and strategic level. Advising on a multitude of different HR issues, ranging from implementing or updating contracts of employment through to the design and implementation of culture change. Experience of a variety of industries and cultures. •Standalone HR Manager role; undertook 10-month standalone HR Manager role on a client's site serving a multi-site 24 hour, 365-day operation sitting on senior management team; responsible for 110 employees dealing with all ER and case work whilst implementing new rota system and resourcing evaluation. •Recruitment and selection; agreeing strategy at the outset with the client from advertising through to briefing recruitment consultants, agree selection techniques and managing the complete recruitment process. •Policies and Procedures; ensured that existing policies and procedures are adhered to and provide advice regarding their application. Developed and agreed new policies and procedures for national implementation as required. •Projects; took ownership for elements of projects as required, managed timescales and budgets. •Performance management/exit; provided advice and guidance to clients to support them in dealing with difficult performance issues. Undertook disciplinary and grievances investigations, hearings and necessary reports and outcome letters. Provided HR advice during three merger situations. •Reporting; making full use of the HRIS to identify and deliver routine reports to clients e.g. absence trends, recruitment sources and costings, retention. •Induction and exit procedures; ensured that an appropriate local induction program for every joiner internally. •Compensation and benefits; involvement with annual salary reviews. Undertook local actions required for harmonisation of terms and conditions. Ensured all offers of employment / contractual terms was in line with national policy. Provided guidance to clients on benefits and bonus arrangements.