Mel Lawson

Head of HR and Talent Management – Film-Ocean Ltd
Working alongside the CEO and served as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team to support the company’s scale-up and expand into work-class ROV systems, and accelerate global growth. Developed and delivered a people strategy that supported rapid expansion, increasing turnover from £12M to over £22M, improving gross profit margins, and maintaining zero lost time incidents alongside core ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 accreditations.

Held strategic responsibility across HR, Recruitment, Training & Competence, Crewing, Facilities, IT, and Marketing—delivering all projects from concept to completion.

Key Achievements:

• Delivered a 5-year HR and people strategy in under 2 years
• Scaled headcount from 26 to 161 employees within 3 years through a targeted people strategy
• Managed all direct recruitment, onshore and offshore, achieving over £250K annual cost savings
• Implemented a Company Business Management System (Caiman IQ)
• Developed a bespoke Proof of Competence framework for offshore ROV personnel
• Rolled out HR policies aligned to global expansion and compliance needs
• Introduced innovative retention, reward, and wellbeing initiatives
• Acted as a trusted advisor to the leadership team on complex people and organisational issues
• Championed Film-Ocean’s values—teamwork, passion, innovation, and customer focus
• Oversaw multiple business functions to ensure fit-for-purpose service delivery across departments

Worked closely with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team to deliver HR strategy aligned to ROVOP’s international growth plans across the US, Middle East, and Norway. Supported business expansion, doubling the ROV fleet from 26 to 52 systems and increasing headcount from 158 to over 300 within three years.

Key Responsibilities and Achievements:

• Led HR operations across all regions, ensuring a fit-for-purpose, professional service that supported global scale-up.
• Delivered strategic HR solutions across talent, succession, reward, and performance management.
• Directed HR projects including GDPR compliance, TUPE transfers, pension auto-enrolment, and harmonisation of terms.
• Designed and implemented global HR policies, procedures, and employment contracts.
• Managed complex employee relations issues including mental health, grievance, disciplinary, and capability.
• Advised and coached senior leaders on organisational change and people strategy.
• Attracted and retained top onshore and offshore talent, managing all recruitment and onboarding activities.
• Developed and rolled out training programmes to support operational growth and workforce development.
• Championed company values and culture, acting as a key internal and external HR representative.
• Contributed to HRIS improvements and aligned policies to commercial and legislative requirements.

• Delivered pragmatic, commercially focused HR advice to SME clients across oil & gas and other sectors, supporting site-based operations at multiple locations.
• Advised on employment legislation, employee relations, and organisational change, partnering with stakeholders from CEO to frontline staff.
• Developed and implemented HR policies, procedures, handbooks, and legally compliant documentation tailored to each business.
• Led full-cycle recruitment, onboarding, and appraisal processes, ensuring consistency and compliance with best practice.
• Designed and delivered training needs analyses, development plans, and competency matrices to build capability.
• Supported continuous improvement in HR practices, challenging legacy approaches and enhancing management confidence through expert coaching and advice.

Provided comprehensive HR support across the full employee lifecycle, with a strong focus on recruitment, retention, and employee relations. Developed and implemented HR policies, managed performance and absence, led disciplinary and grievance matters, and ensured compliance with employment legislation. Oversaw payroll processes, introduced an employee handbook and time/attendance system, and implemented a training and competency matrix. Supported organisational change through fair recruitment practices, onboarding, appraisals, and employee engagement initiatives.

Led the HR function across multiple projects and client operations, acting as the primary advisor to management on all HR matters including employment law, employee relations, performance, and organisational change. Directed a small HR team to deliver best-practice solutions in recruitment, retention, and workforce planning, including international mobilisations and full visa and logistics coordination. Oversaw payroll, reward, compensation reviews, and HRIS (Oracle) management, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and confidentiality. Played a key role in driving HR strategy through TUPE transitions, harmonisation of terms, and restructuring activities, while representing HR at senior-level meetings and offshore/site visits to align people strategy with operational delivery.

Provided comprehensive personnel logistics and HR support across multiple offshore and onshore projects, including coordination of crew rotations, travel arrangements, accommodation, and visa processing. Supported recruitment, onboarding, and compliance with employment policies and regulations, ensuring seamless workforce mobilisation and operational continuity.