Laura Stratford

• Established the inhouse executive search function for GXO Logistics in Europe. GXO is the largest pure-play contract logistics provider in the world with 970 locations across 27 countries, 130,000 team members and 9.8 billion in revenue. My remit has been to reduce head-hunter fees and provide an excellent service to the business and candidates. Currently realised savings of circa 1.3 million.
• Leading executive search assignments and hiring strategy from Director to SVP, working with the C Suite and leadership teams across Europe and additionally AMAPAC for Corporate positions.
• Advise on vacancy role and responsibilities, working with the Executive Team member/their team with input from HR Business Lead
• Partner with the Compensation and Benefits VP/SVP to develop attractive remuneration packages
• Manage relationships with executive search firms

Global Executive Search Practice, conducting Executive level recruiting for IBM Consulting and IBM Technology IBM is present in over 175 countries with revenues in excess of 57 billion and employs circa 345,000 people

• Deliver Executive-level search assignments across EMEA within multiple industry sectors and technology offerings, including Digital, AI, Cloud, ERP services, and Data & Analytics, while ensuring an "iconic" candidate experience throughout. Positions filled at Partner and MD level. • Partner with HR Directors and Executive Business Leadership to understand their immediate requirements and where they had future requirements so that I can pro-actively build talent pipelines.
• Create structure and rigor around candidate management and experience, resulting in seamless transition to Executive Integration
• Provide advisory services to Hiring Executives on all search matters, resulting in successful interpretation of business requirements and translation into recruitment solutions
• Promoted IBM as a premier employer of choice in the global marketplace, resulting in increased brand recognition and appeal
• Developed and negotiated executive compensation packages, resulting in successful recruitment and retention of top talent
• Active member of the #Neurodiversity@IBM BRG and coordinated a presentation for our team to build knowledge and understanding to support DEI at IBM
• Delivered a presentation at our EMEA team meeting on Conative Styles to help the team get to know each other better and foster further collaboration
• Completed over 100 hours of learning including certificates for courses in Mental Health at work, Quantum computing and Growth Behaviours.

• A key member of the WBA Global Executive Talent Acquisition team. Walgreens Boots Alliance is a $140 billion turnover business, present in 25 countries, employs more than 440,000 people with over 18,750 stores in 11 countries, along with one of the largest pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks
• Led assignments across geographies including UK, Italy, Norway, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, USA and across all businesses within the group; Boots, Pharmaceutical Wholesale, International Retail, Global Brands and Walgreens. Functions included; Digital, HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Supply Chain, Technical and Operations
• Partnered with HR Directors and Senior Leaders to design search strategies and deliver valuable data and market intelligence for each assignment
• Insights and recommendations shared throughout the recruitment journey to inform organisation design, role profiles, candidate feedback on the brands and competitor intelligence
• Key senior member of the ‘Research Centre of Excellence' responsible for evolving the end-to-end process by challenging the status quo and researching and implementing new ways of working
• Connected with and joined key industry groups such as the ERA (exec research association) and ESIX to bring fresh ideas into the business
• Key projects completed, Global Executive Assessment and Selection, Executive Induction for Global Brands, Diversity and Inclusion and The Future of Talent Acquisition. All involved cross functional collaboration.
• Results orientated; completed research assignments across functions and geographies saving the business circa £2million, always delivering a diverse shortlist and ensuring time and quality of hire KPI's are met
• Completed the Sourcing Masterclass training course with Balazs Paroczay, a globally recognized sourcing leader and keynote speaker. The course focused on improving core sourcing and recruiting abilities to identify, attract and engage with critical and diverse talent using a variety of innovative tools and techniques

• As the Lead Recruiter for Global Sourcing and Supply, I oversaw all recruitment activity for a diverse range of key roles, including Buying, Strategy, Business Improvement, Supply, Quality Auditing and Ethics, Technical Development and Project Management
• During my tenure, I successfully identified, attracted, and onboarded top talent across a range of functions, ensuring that the department had the right people in place to achieve its goals

• As the recruitment lead for the technical areas of Global Brands, I oversaw the delivery of all recruitment activity for critical roles in Formulation, Innovation, Quality and Safety, Regulatory, Quality and Supplier Development, Packaging, Clinical and Medical, Medical Devices and Project Management
• I worked in close collaboration with hiring managers to identify the most cost-effective sourcing solutions and selection tools for the pipeline or vacancy

• Appointed lead recruiter in a brand-new team set up to roll out and deliver General Electric's newly designed UK Intern Programme, circa 440 hires across all of GE's business entities and all functions including: IT, Engineering, Business Management, Finance, Risk, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, HR, Marketing and Communications
• Responsible for establishing trusted relationships with Senior Leaders and hiring managers and engaging them on the new AMS recruitment process
• Managed pipelines of volume candidate applications and implemented changes quickly to encourage more applications • Built relationships with universities across the UK and met with functional course leaders, Careers Directors to talk them through the new application process with the ultimate outcome of recommending GE as an employer of choice to their students
• Managed relationships with media partners such as Rate My Placement, Milkround and target jobs and ensured ROI • Shortlisted candidates for internships, arranged interviews and managed the offer process
• Coached teams in Krakow and Manilla who owned the candidate screening and interview coordination process
• Development of sourcing and administration team; listened into a percentage of telephone interviews and provided coaching
• Led weekly team operations calls with GE's senior leaders in my manager's absence where we discussed and agreed actions from the weekly MI including application numbers, diversity stats, weekly progress against targets and data driven external insights

• Trained hiring managers and senior managers on how to use social media for recruiting to lower cost per hire and become an ambassador for the business on social media
• Produced monthly MI reports and external insights and presented them to the Senior HR partners
• Forum Rep for HR - working closely with the executive leadership team to help build an even better Boots
• Project Lead for the Good Recruitment Campaign, including benchmarking exercises, senior leader and team engagement and sharing best practice
• Volunteered to climb Ben Nevis at moonlight to raise money for Boots registered partnership charity, Macmillan.
• Passed certification in SHL Level A&B Psychometric and Ability testing qualification.
• Promoted to Senior Recruitment Partner competing against my peers

• My primary responsibility was managing the recruitment process for Santander's Early in Career Programmes, which involved attracting, assessing, selecting, and onboarding candidates