Rob McGrath

Scheduled career pause to focus on young family and family work/life harmony.

Directed HR and People functions for Senior Leadership teams in Technology and Engineering division. Established robust, trust-based relationships with executives to support People Strategy execution. Managed diverse stakeholder expectations within a rapidly changing environment across UK and Europe. Responded to business transformation demands by aligning HR practices with Joint Venture goals.

• JV & M&A Activity: Leading role through PMI, planning, discovery, design, implementation, launch and ongoing review as Virgin Media and O2 entered into Joint Venture impacting 35,000 employees. Working with Network Strategy, Innovation, Field Engineering and Partner Management to merge differing and complex organisations in an environment of transformation, tasking, synergies and change. Reported into Transformation team for this period whilst partnering client groups with populations of c2000-2500 employees.

• Transformation and Reorganisation: Agile methodology adopted through numerous OD and restructuring designs. Particular success with evolution of Network Strategy and Engineering organisation. Enabling business growth through Network, Engineering and Technology whilst identifying and navigating People impacts / risks and solutions. Conduit between CoE's across VM, LG and JV of VMO2.

• Talent & Workforce Planning: Identification of changing skill and capability requirements through effective resource planning and strategy. Proactive succession and retention approach enabling development and internal progression whilst balancing need for internal and external capability. Detailed use of benchmarking, recruitment and market data to influence informed decisions and judgments. Large contractor and third party workforce leading to multiple TUPE, Inter Company Transfers, Entity change.

• Learning & Development: Keen focus on L&D across client groups with ownership of associated budgets and priorities. Record of identifying and improving Leadership capability and behaviours and creating communities of leaders as champions. People lead for Technology Future Careers (Graduate and Apprenticeship) driving increased volume, quality, career pathway and retention.

• Employee Relations: Plan, lead and manage both collective and individual consultation processes across UK regions and Multi Sites. Coach and support managers with change cycle to ensure compliance, fairness and consistency. Ownership of complex Disciplinary and Grievance cases through to completion. Representation at ET and with TU and employee Rep groups. People lead on Employee Relations Forum aimed for UK.

• Employee Representative and Trade Union activity. People lead for UK Technology Employee Representative forum. Representing and communicating on behalf of HR and business through period of business transformation. Led recognised evolution and improved focus of forum to achieve leading engagement rates. Frequent areas of discussion and negotiation were had on restructure, recognition, engagement, training and development, compensation review, business change, property strategy.

• Other areas of ownership: Covid Response. Career Progression / Career Framework. Communications. Engagement. People Roadmap. Site Closures. Relocations. Financial Management and Budget. Recruitment. Reward. Employee Relations. Policy.

• Sitting as member of Infrastructure Services (MGIS) Leadership Team, tasked with instilling group people strategy within newly formed, fast growing and delivery focused client group of 650 employees across 70 countries. Key emphasis on structural review, office relocation and governance.

• Building credibility and awareness of HR as partnering tool. Acting as confidant for Vice President and advising on LT accountability, development needs, culture and performance. Delivered full UK PSL review to reduce agency spend by 70%.

• Generalist role operating within this Joint Venture between Vodafone and Telefonica, supporting varied client group with matrix reporting lines. Key deliverables include introduction and delivery of formal talent review, performed full review of employee reward offering and proposing 2015 benefit offering including flexible benefits.

Generalist role support UK Technology and Engineering functions of 900 employees. Partnering senior decision makers to align people strategy with commercial objectives and deliverables.

• Well Being: Responsible for all aspects of UK OH including referrals, case management, budget, service review and SLA achievement. Delivered cost saving of 22% in year one and 38% reduction in referral times. Business aligned role supporting client group of 900 employees.

• Relocation: Project managed closure and relocation of Customer Data Centre from three independent teams. Leading HR strategy, planning, timelines, communication, and consultation process over an eleven-month period. Project delivered a £1.3m saving through automation and identification of alignment to customer SLAs.

• Generalist and pro–active role with world's largest independent Wine specialist. Adopting HR business partnering model with responsibility for onsite customer client base of 450 employees in specialist and fast paced industry with three direct reports. Emphasis on strategic planning, implementation, prevention and issue resolution.

• ER specialist in leading Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) organisation. Ensuring that all people management strategies and practices were aligned with company HR strategy. Providing support directly to clients within both private and public sector.