Assignments

RECENT ASSIGNMENTS 2000 to 2008

• From February 2007: Remote resourcing and talent management for rapidly growing international oil and gas engineers and project managers based in the UK - resourcing campaign development, ongoing supplier management and international briefing and screening
• October 2006 to February 2007. Qatar. Interim HR Manager for rapidly expanding consulting engineers and architects with 100 local employees of 17 nationalities, carrying out recruitment, employee relations and related activities and advising and launching HR strategies and initiatives before handing over to newly-recruited, permanent HR Manager.
• May to September 2006. Surrey, UK. Interim HR Manager for new division of a leading construction company formed to engineer and deliver step-free access and station accessibility solutions for London Underground stations: recruitment, policy development, communications with 130 seconded staff in close liaison with parent company HR department.
• January to April 2006. Perth, Scotland. Mobilisation of newly-won, second-generation trunk roads maintenance contract. Successful TUPE transfer of 150 staff in two main offices and seven depots throughout the Highlands, recruitment to fill additional jobs, design of common conditions for two, joint venture partners' staff, TU and employee consultation, development of HR strategy for following five to seven years.
• July to October 2005. Dubai. Review and radical revision of appraisal, induction, grading, labour camp administration and other employment policies of UAE's leading construction group and on-site HR support during a critical phase of the building of the world's largest shopping mall with 9000 construction employees, 1200 retail units and a construction cost of one billion dollars.
• April to June 2005. Hampshire. Design and negotiation of consultation and information scheme for 1600 employees in over 30 locations, review of working time arrangements and compliance for drivers, night workers and emergency response staff and review of structure, activities, responsibilities, interfaces and staffing of personnel, employee relations, training and administration/payroll departments
• November 2004 to March 2005. Kent. Interim HR Consultant. Exploratory project for introduction of virtually limitless flexible working arrangements and harmonisation of conditions of employment in a joint venture, comprising nationally-known consulting engineers and the UK's fastest growing specialist contractor, with a total of 200 staff employed in several locations through the two JV companies and on a wide range of conditions and cultures resulting from TUPE transfers. Subsequent proposals and documentation for creation of an Information and Consultation Forum to benefit from employee involvement.
• July to October 2004. London. Mobilisation HR Manager for a joint venture of consulting engineers and contractors undertaking highways and street lighting maintenance throughout the City of Westminster. Achievements included achieving virtually full staffing by launch date and the successful management of complex, contested TUPE transfers requiring trade union negotiation and compromise agreements.
• July 2004. Surrey, UK. Support, advice and administrative assistance to a rapidly expanding engineering consultancy, specialising in international offshore oil and gas, in short listing and selection of their first HR professional.
• March to June 2004. London. HR Co-ordinator. Managing and co-ordinated internal and external resourcing and conditions of employment for new joint venture of three companies formed to deliver civil engineering maintenance for six years for two thirds of the London Underground. Created supply-chain resourcing hub for long-term resource management.
• Februaryto May 2003. Hampshire and Kent, UK. HR Manager during mobilisation period of joint venture of leading UK consulting engineers and contractors recently awarded the Managing Agent Contractor (MAC) contract by the Highways Agency to maintain and manage motorways and trunk roads in Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex. Planning and implementation of programmes of intense individual and group consultation and written and face to face communication with outgoing contractor's and design engineer's staff, establishment of harmonised conditions of employment and assignment and administration of staff and operatives to employers comprising the joint venture. Management of Transfer of Undertakings, Protection of Employment (TUPE) regulations aspects of transfers. External recruitment to fill newly-created positions unique to the MAC form of contract and handover to operational HR teams.
• June 2001 to January 2002. Cyprus. Launch and marketing of franchised, American Change Management and Merger Integration products for Cyprus' leading independent management and marketing consultancy. Franchise negotiations, identification of and contact with target companies and organisations in private and public sector in Cyprus, preparation of marketing materials, administration of Training Authority grant procedures and delivery of sample workshops on merger integration and change management techniques. Development and delivery of in-house, HR-related training workshops for client's consulting staff.
• October 2000 to May 2001. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Interim HR Consultant to Saudi Arabia's leading tea importers, packers and distributors with an annual turnover of $20 million. Based in Jeddah. Designed profit sharing, incentive and grading schemes, revised salary and benefit structure for Saudi and other employees and reviewed and revised employee handbook and related documentation.
• 2000 to 2003. Cyprus. Writer of weekly, 'New Manager' column (approaching 130 editions) on management and HR topics for Cyprus' English language, financial newspaper.

EARLIER ASSIGNMENTS 1986 to 2000

• Development and delivery in Cyprus, Kuwait and UAE of two-week, executive, master-class programmes of coaching and teaching for senior managers from middle-eastern organisations and of short workshops and seminars on change management, communications, competencies, group dynamics, team working and business communications.
  
• Interim HR manager for a new company formed by Enron and Wessex Water to develop and market water and waste management programmes worldwide. Development of common, expatriate HR conditions and policies and recruitment of international teams of MBA-qualified water engineers and professionals. 
  
• Project Manager developing and implementing initiatives addressing construction skills shortages and creating competency records for up to 8000 construction tradesmen and operatives at Heathrow Airport.
  
• Development and initiation of a culture change programme for 3500 employees of a recently-privatised railway maintenance company.
  
• Analysis and advice on terms of employment of government employees transferring to a private sector employer in 165 locations across southern England.
  
• Head of a personnel planning unit responsible for HR aspects of international business change programmes, performance management and competency-based organisation and job design in the City and European companies of the world's largest insurance brokers.
  
• Interim human resources management for the UK's largest firm of chartered surveyors.
  
• Setting terms and conditions, policies and procedures and recruitment of key start-up team for a new, wide-bodied aircraft maintenance facility.
  
• On site recruitment of 300 engineering, supervisory and administrative staff for the Channel Tunnel construction.
  
• Review of the manual and computerised personnel systems of one of the UK's largest insurance brokers and implementation of recommendations.
  
• Design of job evaluation and grading schemes and disciplinary procedures for the local staff of a charity in French-speaking central Africa.
  
• Interim management of a personnel and training department for a large, progressive local authority.
• Interim management of the personnel department of the UK's largest international construction contractor with expatriates in Europe and throughout the developing world.
• Long-term administration of final-salary pension fund with assets of 2.2 millions.
  
• Investigation into the breakdown of the computerised personnel records system for a London borough and management of a programme to restore the system.
  
• Recruitment of the management team of a facilities management company serving Britain's best-known high street retailer.
  
• Redesign of the staff grading system of one of the UK's best-known constructioncompanies.
  
• Recruitment of a team of specialist engineers to supervise the simultaneous lifting and modification of a North Sea oil complex.