Russell Piper
Hassocks,West Sussex
Summary
An HR Generalist / Operations Director with strong commercial focus. Both hands on and strategic with experience of rapidly growing business and restructuring to create a highly profitable business model.
Ability to understand business models quickly and identify people requirements and behaviours to bring success.
Effective verbal and written communicator.
Able to develop strategy/ tactics/ detail within an organisation and throughout an HR function.
Wide ranging knowledge of HR legislation globally.
Strong project management experience.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work history
HR Consultant
Lane, Clark Peacock- Consulting Actuaries
London/Winchester, Hampshire
11.2024 - 07.2025
Short Term consultancy project setting up HR structure for US expansion.
Global HR Director
Seaco Global Ltd - Leasing & Fin Serv.
London, London
06.2007 - 04.2024
Reporting to CEO and a member of SMT, I acted as the senior HR business partner in addition to running all HR activities and strategy globally,(21 offices) covering systems, processes and policy to fit constantly changing business need in consultation with SMT peers.
Strong commercial and financial understanding of the business, additionally developed new markets, opening offices in numerous locations, including Australia, Japan, UAE, US and Caribbean. Managed acquisition integrations in US, China and Korea. (effectively de facto Ops Director.)
Managed strategy and implementation for a number of change programmes and authored the company's strategic planning process. Business T/O $750M. 250 employees . UK based with frequent travel.
Major projects: 2 HRIS implementations, Global Pay and Reward overhaul, implemented employee engagement programme and surveys, implemented two appraisal and performance management systems, led COVID response, developed and led award winning CSR initiative. Owned and implemented global restructuring process with GE (joint venture).
HR Consultant / Ops Director
ChangeFirst - Change Management Methodology.
Haywards Heath, West Sussex
05.2006 - 06.2025
Interim position to design transition from face to face training to web based product. Sold product into TFL for a major change programme.
Group HR Director
Crane Telecoms Ltd - Software/ Equipment
Burgess Hill, West Sussex
12.1999 - 01.2006
- Led development and implementation of HR strategies aligned with organisational goals for a rapidly growing org. 160 to 360 employees in 2 years.
- Set up strategically focused HR department from scratch in a fast moving tech environment.
- SMT member reporting to CEO. Strong 'culture creation' remit.
- Group HR responsibility offices in 2 UK locations plus Spain, Belgium and Holland.
- Additionally ran technical field support team (40 technicians) for 2 years.
Senior Consultant
Deloittes
London, City of London
11.1998 - 12.1999
Provided Leadership, Management Development and Consultancy services to major blue chips and SME's. Internal profiling of Deloitte's partners using wide array of Psychometric tools. Delivered management development programme into HSBC and Ordnance Survey.
Operations Director/Course Director
The Leadership Trust
Ross on Wye, Herefordshire
02.1993 - 10.1998
One of Europe's largest Leadership Development providers. I became a leading deliverer of programmes and SMT member.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Business Studies
Brighton Polytechnic
Brighton, Brighton and HoveFCIPD - Chartered Status
Institute of Personnel and Development
UKBPS A and B plus MBTI and OPP quals. -
British Psychological Society
Wharton Business School HR programme.
04.2001 -
Skills
- Strong commercial and financial awareness and understanding
- Wide breadth of skills from 'hands on' to strategic planning Ability to connect the two ends of the spectrum
- Broad ranging cultural understand across many ethnicities (Worked with workforce of 38 nationalities)
- Detail focused and highly numerate
- Ran all internal communication and much of the external Marcomms communication for Seaco Looked upon by peer group as the organisational 'glue'
- Senior management to Graduate level recruitment, including graduate training programme
- Training and Development design and delivery
- Comp and Ben design and sourcing including bonus and LTIP schemes
- Managed globally remote HR team
- Heavy influence in creating one organisational culture across the globe
Affiliations
- Ex chair of Local junior football club. Local cricket Club management team chair.
Timeline
HR Consultant
Lane, Clark Peacock- Consulting Actuaries
11.2024 - 07.2025
Global HR Director
Seaco Global Ltd - Leasing & Fin Serv.
06.2007 - 04.2024
HR Consultant / Ops Director
ChangeFirst - Change Management Methodology.
05.2006 - 06.2025
Wharton Business School HR programme.
04.2001 -
Group HR Director
Crane Telecoms Ltd - Software/ Equipment
12.1999 - 01.2006
Senior Consultant
Deloittes
11.1998 - 12.1999
Operations Director/Course Director
The Leadership Trust
02.1993 - 10.1998
Bachelor of Arts - Business Studies
Brighton Polytechnic
FCIPD - Chartered Status
Institute of Personnel and Development
BPS A and B plus MBTI and OPP quals. -
British Psychological Society