By all accounts I was an inquisitive child. I asked lots of questions, and also liked to listen. I was fascinated by the universe and what made people ‘tick’. So it was with no great surprise that I ended up in HR, a discipline that I’ve called home for over 20 years.
My early years saw me working for Prudential in the role of HR Project Support and then for Linklakers and Channel 4 as HR Business Partner. Despite each of these organisations being so different in size, focus and culture, I was able to learn the importance of working in partnership with the leadership to integrate the people strategy with the business strategy.
In my 30s I moved to New Zealand, curious to see how life would be there. I headed up HR in a range of industries, from banking, to manufacturing and FMCG. At ANZ I served as a steady hand during the merger of ANZ and National Bank of New Zealand. As well as dealing with the practical impact of this on the people and HR processes within the business, I was tasked with the important job of ensuring that the senior management team developed the right internal capacity to understand and manage the emotional aspects associated with organisational change.
My next move was to Coca-Cola. As an industry leader, they understood the importance of having happy, motivated employees and were keen to refine their talent development strategy. As National HR Manager I worked hard with the senior executives to make this their #1 priority, an area I still feel deeply passionate about. Coca-Cola went on to win the prestigous Aon Best Employer Award, and are now seen as one of the best places to work in New Zealand. At Johnsons Controls, I was brought in specifically to partner with the CEO and lead a culture change programme that would ensure sustainable profitability.