 |
"The work in Cadbury is challenging but you have the freedom to push yourself as far as you can... What you achieve is up to you." |
Location:
Uxbridge, UK
Current Role:
Global HR Director & Business Services
"After joining the Cadbury HR management training scheme, I had various roles from 1987-91, including production work at Bournville, sales training in India, HR work in Germany and franchise management in London. I then became an HR officer in London before moving to Cadbury Beverages North America in Stamford, Connecticut, as HR manager.
"I served a wide range of customers, and learnt the foundations of HR, from recruiting US sales managers to handling employee relations. In 1995 I returned to the UK as HR director for Schweppes Europe Franchises, before moving on to Moscow as Cadbury Russia's HR director. This was a particularly large and exciting challenge - a new team in a new business, setting up all HR procedures from scratch, developing talent to grow the business to ensuring best practice at our large manufacturing site.
"I then moved to Texas as vice president for resourcing & development at Dr Pepper/Seven Up, where I was responsible for establishing robust recruitment, diversity, training and development strategies. Much of the work involved recruiting and training the HR managers providing specialist services to the business. I particularly enjoyed the coaching and mentoring, helping HR managers develop professionally. In 2005 I moved to Singapore as HR Director Asia Pacific and have recently returned back to UK in the role of Global HR Director & Business Services.
"The work in Cadbury is challenging but you have the freedom to push yourself as far as you can. It's friendly and informal, with rewards based purely on performance. What you achieve is up to you. And there are excellent international opportunities."