Denise Mackenzie
Marple,Manchester
Summary
HR professional with extensive expertise in employee relations, HR metrics analysis, and employment legislation. Proven track record in organisational design strategies, internal consulting, and diversity and inclusion advocacy. Adept at HR systems implementation, succession planning methods, workforce planning, and employee engagement initiatives. Skilled in stakeholder management, talent acquisition strategy, employee retention strategies, employment law, and strategic planning. Career goal: to drive impactful HR solutions that foster a productive and inclusive workplace.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work history
Director of People
The English National Opera
01.2022 - 07.2025
- Member of the senior leadership team responsible for a permanent workforce of 300, 100 casuals, and c200 freelance; reporting into the CEO.
- Responsible for the development and implementation of the People strategy aligned to the strategic vision and direction of the company with particular focus on equity and inclusion; employee wellbeing; digitisation of HR processes and employee relations; culture and engagement.
- Collaborate with key stakeholders including the Board of Trustees providing reports on key statistical data including ED&I, gender pay, employee relations activities.
- Led the Transitional Team in collaboration with Trade Unions, responsible for reviewing contractual terms and conditions, organisational restructure and policies associated with the requirement for the business to split into two separate entities, relocate and amend contract length.
- Redesign of People team of 4 from being a transactional function to a team of specialists in recruitment, learning and development and employee relations.
- Coach and trusted advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team providing hands on support with complex disciplinary and grievance cases as well as consultation and negotiation. Managing business risk to a minimum.
- Managing a budget of £500k for the provision of a L&D programme, including Leadership development and mentoring of the senior leadership team; HRIS; employee engagement surveys; the introduction of an apprenticeship programme and costs associated with organisational restructuring.
- Reviewed and renewed company policies, ensuring strict legal compliance across all business activities.
- Led annual salary reviews, talent reviews, succession planning and performance management.
Head of People Operations
Casual Dining Group (Concessions, Bella Italia, Belgo and Café Rouge)
06.2018 - 01.2022
- Strategic partner to the Operations Directors of each Brand aligning people strategy to the operational strategy.
- Introduced strategies to improve employee turnover including; employee wellbeing strategy focused on mental, financial and physical health.
- Led employee engagement survey to establish key people priorities and initiatives, improving overall reward and recognition processes.
- Led a team of HR Business Partners ensuring consistent ER advice, robust succession planning; ER training and collaborative working relationships with the wider People Team.
- Work very closely with the OD's and operational teams to develop turn around plans for failing restaurants.
- Introduced a Diversity and Inclusion strategy following feedback from the employee survey.
- Manage a team of Talent Acquisition Partners with responsibility for all recruitment and attraction activity including alternative talent pools, ATS, methods of attraction, managing a budget of £200k per annum.
Head of People Operations
Virgin Active
08.2016 - 03.2018
- Company Overview: Health, Fitness and Racquets Clubs delivering Fitness, health and beauty, food and beverage and family activities services
- Strategic partner to the Operations Director and Regional Directors aligning people strategy to the operational strategy as well as coaching through business initiatives.
- developed and embedded revised company values; people promise and cultural change program through workshops, toolkits and threading the values through all people activities and policies.
- HR lead on critical business projects including: Recruitment strategy to attract and employ ex-offenders and refugees.
- Successfully delivered retention and engagement strategy reducing the number of zero hour contracts and introducing a minimal hours contract; improved rates of pay for personal trainers, improved career progression through succession plans.
- Lead on talent management working closely with the Operations Director, Regional Director and General Managers on succession plans. Carrying out calibrations sessions and quarterly talent reviews linking with the L&D department to ensure alignment. GM turnover improved from 40% to 29% and engagement improved from 80% to 95%.
- Lead on employee engagement survey and action planning demonstrating an improvement of 10% despite a period of uncertainty due to club divestment programme and head office restructures.
- Case manager for complex ER issues at a senior level, advising, supporting and coaching through to completion.
HR Projects Manager
Virgin Active
03.2014 - 08.2016
- Led extensive change management projects including: Club restructures involving consultation of 500 staff across 85 clubs to ensure a blueprint for the future with optimal efficiencies realising savings of 2 million.
- TUPE transfer of clubs to competitors – 45 clubs to Nuffield Health and 16 clubs to David Lloyd, managing stakeholder relationships, contractual obligations and due diligence. As well as a number of club closures.
- Reorganisation of Junior activities departments ensuring a much more efficient structure realising savings of £600k.
- Bringing the swim product fully in house ensuring consistency and improved member service across the business leading to profit growth of £250k.
HR Business Partner
Virgin Active
08.2008 - 03.2014
- Regional HR Business Partner responsible for employee experience of 28 Health and Racquets Clubs in the North Region.
- Delivered improved business performance in absence, turnover and employee satisfaction. Reduced absence rates from 8% to 5%; improved response rate to engagement survey from 85% to 90% and engagement result from 84% to 88%; ET's in the region from 5 to 0.
- Responsible for succession planning to ensure that risks to the business are kept to a minimum.
- HR lead on the organisational blue print project ensuring that Clubs have the right structure to deliver results.
- Responsible for coaching General Managers and Heads of Department.
- Deal directly with any high risk discipline and grievance cases, carrying out full case management
Regional HR Manager
Sodexo Healthcare
08.2004 - 08.2008
- HR lead for 2 large PFI sites with 1500 staff as well as managing HR activity/strategies for a further 20 sites with 1300 staff providing facilities management services including retail, catering, domestic, portering and other support services.
- Also responsible for leading and managing the HR Admin team and Resourcing Officer ensuring processes are effective and compliant and excellent service provision to the operational teams across the country.
- Lead HR Manager working with the TU on a national strategy to harmonise terms and conditions of employment.
- Involved in a number of restructures to ensure that business units remain profitable.
- Day to day responsibility for advising on general HR issues including TUPE.
- Responsible for the regional Management Performance Audit and succession plan.
- Contribute to the business development strategy and input to the bid/tendering process from a HR perspective.
- Developed effective relationships with external clients to ensure that HR initiatives are aligned.
- Attend monthly finance reviews with the Executive Board, as part of the Regional Operational Management team, to feed back on performance against PI's
HR Manager Commercial Support Group
Sodexo Healthcare
08.2003 - 12.2004
- CSG HR Manager responsible for developing the HR Strategy and business plans for 2 large complex PFI sites with 1500 staff.
- Managed and developed the site HR Managers to improve the service delivery and focus on KPI's to assist operations in improved financial performance.
- Introduced strategies to improve labour management resulting in improvements in sickness absence levels, unauthorised absence, management of holidays and management of Agency costs.
- Developed a recruitment and retention strategy reducing vacancies from 20% to 4% and eliminating the need for Agency staff.
- Heavily involved with all ER issues with particular emphasis on helping to improve the relationship between the TU and Management by introducing JCC arrangements and facility time arrangements and working closely with national officers.
Education
Diploma - Coaching for Performance
Newcastle College
Post Graduate Diploma - HRM and HRD
Salford University
Diploma - Core Management
Salford University
A levels - Fine Art and Theatre Studies
Loreto 6th Form College
GCSE's - Maths and English
Loreto 6th Form College
Skills
- Strategic planning
- Employee relations and employment legislation
- HR metrics analysis
- Organisational development strategies
- Internal and consulting and negotiation including extensive trade union experience
- Diversity and inclusion advocacy
- HR systems implementation
- Workforce planning and design
- Employee engagement and experience
- Stakeholder management
- Talent acquisition strategy
- Employee retention strategies
- TUPE
Custom
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Timeline
Director of People
The English National Opera
01.2022 - 07.2025
Head of People Operations
Casual Dining Group (Concessions, Bella Italia, Belgo and Café Rouge)
06.2018 - 01.2022
Head of People Operations
Virgin Active
08.2016 - 03.2018
HR Projects Manager
Virgin Active
03.2014 - 08.2016
HR Business Partner
Virgin Active
08.2008 - 03.2014
Regional HR Manager
Sodexo Healthcare
08.2004 - 08.2008
HR Manager Commercial Support Group
Sodexo Healthcare
08.2003 - 12.2004
Post Graduate Diploma - HRM and HRD
Salford University
Diploma - Core Management
Salford University
A levels - Fine Art and Theatre Studies
Loreto 6th Form College
GCSE's - Maths and English
Loreto 6th Form College
Diploma - Coaching for Performance
Newcastle College
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