Kerry Baldock
Ware
Summary
Results - driven professional with a robust skill set in strategic thinking, business acumen, and stakeholder management. Demonstrates exceptional leadership and effective communication abilities, fostering collaboration and influence across teams. Committed to and expertise in driving organisational success through targeted, relevant and innovative design and deployment of development solutions as a strategic driver for developing talent and achieving business outcomes.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Global Director of Learning and Development Direct
Gallagher Re
London
2024.01 - 2025.11
- Defined and executed a global Learning & Development strategy aligned to role performance and career priorities, delivering measurable outcomes across sales, leadership, early careers, and personal effectiveness; strengthened competency, accelerated talent pipelines, increased employee engagement by 6%, and reduced attrition by 4%.
- Partnered with executive leaders and SMEs influencing engagement for co-collaboration of tailored and targeted solutions with metrics to measure impact and achieve role performance and future capability across the organisation.
- Built and led a high-performing global L&D function, establishing strategy, governance, operating standards, promotional learning campaigns and a data-led operating model that positioned L&D as a strategic driver of organisational performance and achieving business goals.
- Designed enterprise-wide, role-based learning and career pathways aligned to a career, succession and workforce planning framework.
- Designed and led leadership capability programmes embedding leadership as a strategic business skill, achieving 85% participant satisfaction and integrating performance metrics to track impact; accelerated the transition of brokers into high-performing business leaders.
- Drove digital learning transformation and innovation by implementing blended, technology-enabled solutions that combined skills theory, hands-on application, and competency building, enhancing learner experience and accelerating the transition of knowledge into live environments.
- Led inclusive leadership and employee programmes, embedding gender, cultural, and generational intelligence into workplace practices, enhancing inclusion, collaboration, communication, and leadership effectiveness, and driving measurable improvements in employee engagement scores.
- Developed a comprehensive suite of qualitative and quantitative learning evaluation tools, enabling measurement and reporting of programme impact and ROI to the executive, with integrated performance metrics to demonstrate business outcomes.
Learning and Development Manager UK & Ireland
Crawford & Company
2021.09 - 2024.01
- Designed and led the UK & Ireland Learning & Development strategy, addressing early careers, role competency, career pathways, and industry skills gaps; built a high-performing L&D team able to adapt to evolving organisational needs and support global learning initiatives.
- Drove measurable talent and culture outcomes, embedding a new Performance Management framework and leadership capability programmes, reducing employee turnover by 10%, increasing internal promotions by 43%, and developing 48 senior and future leaders through a blend of theory and practical based development.
- Strengthened regulatory compliance and professional standards, creating FCA Training & Competency policies and frameworks, increasing uptake of professional qualifications by 165%, and evidencing competency to meet regulatory requirements.
- Improved customer and operational performance through learning, implementing customer-centric and role-based competency programmes that reduced customer-interaction complaints by 28% and informed targeted technical and soft-skills training plans.
- Delivered award-winning, value-driven L&D solutions, winning the British Insurance Professional Development Award 2023 and achieving finalist status at the Insurance Times Awards, while managing budgets strategically, maximising apprenticeship levy use, and evidencing ROI through robust reporting and KPIs.
Learning and Development Specialist
QBE
2020.10 - 2021.09
- Created and led the global learning strategy for Technology Services, enabling capability development and supporting transformation to an agile operating model.
- Implemented capability frameworks to assess role-specific skill gaps, align learning solutions, and accelerate individual and team performance.
- Partnered with subject matter experts to deliver engaging, blended learning for a remote workforce, fostering self-directed learning and sustainable learning habits.
- Designed and deployed a library of on-demand leadership and management resources, providing timely support and reinforcing continuous development.
- Developed and implemented behavioural and cultural change initiatives in collaboration with the business, improving team engagement and productivity.
- Evaluated learning interventions and reported performance metrics, learning adoption, and employee satisfaction to senior leadership.
- Established policies, processes, and governance to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery of all learning initiatives globally.
Learning and Development Business Partner
Shawbrook Bank
2018.01 - 2020.01
- Delivered blended learning across Sales, Mortgage Underwriting, Technology, Savings, and Operations, driving leadership capability, career progression, and cultural change, including resilience, interpersonal skills and wellbeing programmes.
- Designed and implemented role-based development initiatives, including FCA Training & Competence, underwriting programmes, Agile and leadership workshops, achieving measurable competency gains and performance improvements.
- Built data-driven L&D frameworks and dashboards to measure impact, support strategic decisions, and enable organisational transformation, including Agile adoption and succession planning initiatives.
Learning and Development Consultant
Towergate
2013.05 - 2017.07
- Designed and delivered foundational programmes, including Induction, Technical, Customer Service, Interpersonal, and Leadership & Management, coached individuals to accelerate competency, and developed the L&D strategy through stakeholder engagement and learning needs analysis.
Quality Assurance Officer and Trainer
Towergate
2011.02 - 2013.05
- Established and led a quality assurance function, managing audits of customer service, compliance, and processes while developing the team through coaching, feedback, and targeted training to drive continuous improvement.
Specialist Support
Wellington International School - Dubai
2008.01 - 2010.01
- Emotional support and counselling of 13-14-year-old children.
Commercial Account Manager
M L Insurance Brokers
1997.01 - 1999.01
Senior Commercial Underwriter
Sterling Insurance
1994.12 - 1997.12
Commercial Underwriter
Royal Sun Alliance
1991.06 - 1994.12
Property and Motor Claims Handler
Royal Sun Alliance
1989.09 - 1991.05
Education
A level - English Literature, Government and Politics, Statistics
Presdales Grammar School
Ware, HertfordshireO levels - English Literature, English Language, Mathematics, French, German, Geography, Drama, Biology
Presdales Grammar School
Ware, HertfordshireSkills
- Strategic Thinking and Planning
- Business Acumen
- Consultation and Stakeholder Management
- Leadership
- Effective Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- Collaboration
- Influence and Persuasion
- Project Management
- Organisation
- Execution of Enterprise Development Solutions
- Creative Design and Delivery of digital, in person and virtual instructor led training
- Talent Management
- Coaching and Mentoring
- Learning and Development Marketing Campaigns
- Evaluation and Performance Impact Assessments
- Budget Management
Certification
- DISC Personality Profiling Certification
- Diploma in Life Coaching
- Neuro Linguistic Programme Practitioner
- Neuro Linguistic Programme Foundation
- Diploma in Insurance
- Diploma in Counselling
- Certificate in Social Sciences
- Member of the Society of Technicians in Insurance
Timeline
Global Director of Learning and Development Direct
Gallagher Re
2024.01 - 2025.11
Learning and Development Manager UK & Ireland
Crawford & Company
2021.09 - 2024.01
Learning and Development Specialist
QBE
2020.10 - 2021.09
Learning and Development Business Partner
Shawbrook Bank
2018.01 - 2020.01
Learning and Development Consultant
Towergate
2013.05 - 2017.07
Quality Assurance Officer and Trainer
Towergate
2011.02 - 2013.05
Specialist Support
Wellington International School - Dubai
2008.01 - 2010.01
Commercial Account Manager
M L Insurance Brokers
1997.01 - 1999.01
Senior Commercial Underwriter
Sterling Insurance
1994.12 - 1997.12
Commercial Underwriter
Royal Sun Alliance
1991.06 - 1994.12
Property and Motor Claims Handler
Royal Sun Alliance
1989.09 - 1991.05
A level - English Literature, Government and Politics, Statistics
Presdales Grammar School
O levels - English Literature, English Language, Mathematics, French, German, Geography, Drama, Biology
Presdales Grammar School