Career Path: Graduate Trainee > European Director of Recruitment and Leadership > Corporate HR Director > Senior Vice President > Chief People Officer
“As a teenager I was a keen ballroom dancer and appeared on the TV show “Come Dancing” … a skill which came in useful last year when I got the opportunity to dance with BBC presenter Gaby Logan shortly after she had appeared on 'Strictly Come Dancing'”
My Story: I started my career as a Graduate Trainee, established the HR department for Transport Development Group and was the youngest Group Manager at HJ Heinz. I then became the European Director of Recruitment and Leadership Planning for SmithKline Beecham. I moved to Tesco Stores as Group Resourcing Director and quickly took the additional accountability of Corporate HR Director. I am currently Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer (UK and Northern Europe) at McDonald's Restaurants Ltd with responsibility for HR, Training, Education, Customer Services and have recently added the Environment to my portfolio. I was voted HR Director of the Year by readers of HR Magazine and for two years running have secured the No.1 position in Personnel Today’s Top-40 HR Power Players list. I was further recognised by HR Magazine as their Most Influential HR Practitioner for two years running. I have an Honorary Doctorate from Manchester Metropolitan University, where I am also a visiting Professor.