Stephen Afon
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY Strategic and commercially focused HR leader with expertise in Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, and HR Business Partnering. Proven track record in end-to-end recruitment, workforce planning, and organisational design to secure critical talent and strengthen capability. Trusted advisor to senior leaders on complex employee relations, performance management, and high-risk cases, ensuring compliance and risk mitigation. Skilled in aligning people’s strategies with business objectives to drive engagement, accountability, and operational performance. Recognised for delivering sustainable growth through talent optimisation and high-performance cultures
• Directed group-wide talent and workforce strategy across multiple tech subsidiaries, leading full-cycle recruitment from forecasting, role design, sourcing, selection, to onboarding. • Built a values-driven, high-performing culture enhancing engagement, collaboration, and retention. • Advised senior leaders on performance management, OKRs/KPIs, and performance improvement plans. • Led complex performance and disciplinary cases, strengthening governance and managerial capability. • Designed capability-building initiatives to close leadership gaps and support high-risk exit management. • Delivered leadership coaching to enhance confidence in handling ER and performance challenges.
• Company Overview: Ashcorp is a global group that is a leading luxury fashion retail company in Africa, with over 100 internationally coveted designer brands via ASHLUXURY.com plus other subsidiaries; Ashluxe – Street Wear, Athclub – Sportwear, Elara Meia, Plus234Labs – footwear, Zantaii – Skincare and Cosmetics, Ash Global Logistics- end to end logistics and YAART – non-profit arm of the business working to inspire and empower youths and individuals. Ashcorp operates branches in Lagos, South Africa and London. • Led end-to-end recruitment for critical roles, increasing talent pipeline by 25% and reducing time-to-fill. • Served as HR Business Partner advising on workforce planning, succession risks, and organisational design. • Built pipelines for high-potential and succession roles, integrating recruitment with leadership development. • Provided advisory support on complex employee relations including disciplinary processes, grievances, and conflict resolution. • Partnered with leadership to translate workforce analytics into actionable strategies.
• Partnered with senior leaders to align people’s strategy with business goals, improving workforce productivity and capability. • Led performance management and talent review cycles, identifying high-potential talent and securing succession pipelines. • Provided expert guidance on employee relations, mitigating risk and ensuring compliance. • Drove organisational change initiatives enhancing engagement and leadership effectiveness. • Leveraged workforce analytics to optimise resourcing and retention.
Afriglobal Group: HR Business Partner/ Group Talent Manager August 2017 - Date Afriglobal group, is a conglomerate with business interests in the chemicals distribution, end to end logistics and healthcare industries with offices in Nigeria, UAE, Cameroun, Ghana, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Egypt, India, China and South Korea. Key Responsibilities • Reporting to the CEO & HR Board Advisor • Revamping the HR function and driving a range of HR initiatives • Policy development • Core process optimization • Talent management and development • Performance management • Talent acquisition management • Key people retention and change/culture management programs
• Company Overview: Afriglobal group, is a conglomerate with business interests in the chemicals trading, end to end logistics and healthcare industries with offices in Nigeria, UAE, Cameroun, Ghana, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Egypt, India, China and South Korea. • Reported to the Group Executive Director and HR Board Advisor. • Revamped the HR functions and drove a range of HR initiatives & Policy development cutting across, Culture and Employee's Engagement, Leadership Development, Employees Experience, Talent Management and Development, Rewards and Recognition, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, Core Process Optimization, Performance management. • Employed the Graduate Trainee scheme as a Talent pipeline. Products of the Scheme constituted about one third of the organization's HiPos. • Hired candidates of quality with potential to backfill key critical positions, and ensured optimal staffing levels, using benchmark HR KPIs. • Established a structured basis for career management & development by designing and launching a robust competency framework to support internal talent mobility and succession planning. • Worked with the HR Board Advisor to initiate and develop a KPI alignment framework. • Articulated and improved compensation philosophy and aligned the compensation and reward policy for staff retention. • Successfully implemented new HRMS software, resulting in a global view of all employee data.
• Resolved complex employee relations and union matters. • Led annual performance appraisal cycles and redesigned recognition frameworks. • Developed HR policies and SOPs ensuring compliance. • Designed onboarding programmes and led HRIS implementation.
In my role as Deputy Head of HR at Dana Group Plc, I led initiatives to enhance employee engagement through the implementation of an employee recognition program and reward-driven innovations. I also analyzed and improved the appraisal system to ensure effective performance management processes within the organization.
• Responsible for talent management strategy implementation and offerings which was to attract, retain and motivate employees and maximize the profitability of the business, employees’ relations, performance management, and employee capacities building
Seconded to: London Probation Authority, Addaction UK, Victim Support, Drfoster Intelligence, Homes for Islington, Victim Support, NHS & Ombudsman. In my role as a Human Resources Administrator, I was responsible for providing guidance on employee relations, investigations, and performance management. I partnered with managers to support employee growth and development, while also ensuring timely reporting on HR metrics to drive strategic decision-making.
• Workforce Planning • Talent Pipeline Development • Employer Branding • Competency-Based Hiring • Data-Driven Recruitment • Diversity & Inclusion - Implemented strategies to attract and retain talent from diverse • backgrounds, eliminate bias in recruitment, and promote equitable hiring practices. • Internal Mobility - Created pathways for career development, mentorship programs, and internal • Job postings to boost employee retention and engagement by offering career growth opportunities. • Onboarding and Retention - Developed a comprehensive onboarding process that introduces new hires to the company culture, expectations, and resources for success in order to enhances employee satisfaction and retention.
Responsibilities included. • Employee Records Management • Payroll Administration • Recruitment Support • Benefits Administration • Compliance and Reporting • Training and Development Support • Onboarding and Offboarding • HR Information System (HRIS) Management • Policy and Procedure Administration
Remi Afon is a very knowledgeable HR professional with a thorough grounding in HR principles. He works very hard at all times of the day and is always on call. He was instrumental in many initiatives in our company like culture and value embedding, empowerment, celebration of employees, active participation in formulating strategic plans etc. He was so devoted to the company that when he made a life decision to change course, he told me almost a year in advance of his plan so that a smooth succession plan could be put in place.
Testimonial for Stephen Afon Head of Employee Experience It is with great pleasure that I provide this testimonial for Stephen Afon, who served as the Head of Employee Experience at Peakware Group. Stephen played a pivotal role in transforming our people culture, strengthening our HR processes, and elevating the overall employee experience across the Group. His leadership, professionalism, and deep understanding of organisational dynamics consistently stood out. He brought structure, empathy, and strategic clarity to how we engaged, developed, and supported our workforce. From redesigning onboarding frameworks, enhancing employee engagement, and strengthening our performance and feedback culture, to leading several critical HR transformation initiatives, Stephen consistently delivered with excellence. What sets Stephen apart is his rare combination of emotional intelligence, sound judgement, and business-focused HR leadership. He engages people with respect, listens deeply, and creates practical solutions that work for both employees and the organisation. His presence brought stability, clarity, and a strong sense of trust across teams and leadership. Stephen is a dependable leader, a collaborative partner, and a true culture builder. Any organisation will be fortunate to have him driving people and experience initiatives. I recommend him wholeheartedly and without reservation.