Serena Obeng
London,United Kingdom
Summary
Versatile HR leader with experience across the full people agenda from talent and capability building to culture, engagement, performance, and organisational effectiveness. I bring a collaborative, solutions‑focused approach that builds trust with leaders and employees alike. Skilled at diagnosing organisational needs, designing practical people solutions, and supporting teams through growth and change.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Global Senior Employee Relations Specialist
Dunhummby
London
2025.07 - Current
- Lead complex investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes, appeals and redundancy consultations.
- Advise senior leaders and HRBPs on risk mitigation, performance management and contractual matters.
- Develop and maintain ER policies, global processes and local adaptations.
- Partner with Legal, Reward and works councils to implement compliant solutions.
- Create and present executive‑level ER reporting and insights.
HR Business Partner (Freelance)
Dentsu
London, United Kingdom
2024.03 - 2025.04
- Established Service Level Agreements (SLAs) while developing a Centre of Excellence and supported team building to ensure all appropriate resources were available.
- Managed 3 Employee Relations Advisors, hired 2 Employee Relations Business Partners, and reported to the Employee Relations Director.
- Launched 20 New Policies, including family-friendly, conduct, and behavioural policies, in collaboration with an approval committee of senior stakeholders and global leaders.
- Led complex Employee Relations cases reducing financial and reputational risks for the business.
- Procured relevant third-party resources to ensure a fully functioning department, including outplacement services, occupational health services, and a global Workday module to support employee relations.
- Supported Stakeholders with Organisational restructures.
Client Acquisition Sponsorship & Project Management Specialist (Freelance)
Afrinex
London, United Kingdom
2023.09 - 2024.02
- Successfully identified and engaged potential clients in the African banking sector for participation in a 3-day conference in the UK.
- Negotiated and finalised sponsorship deals, ensuring alignment with the conference's goals and objectives.
- Assisted in developing project plans, timelines, and budgets to ensure successful event execution.
- Contributed to the development of marketing materials to promote the conference to potential clients and sponsors.
- Proactively identified potential issues and implemented solutions to ensure the overall success of the conference.
HR Business Partner (FTC)
Croner
London, United Kingdom
2023.05 - 2023.08
- Delivered a 10% improvement in employee retention by proactively addressing employee concerns and providing guidance on best practices in the area of employee relations.
- Identified and resolved employee performance and compliance issues by analysing and interpreting complex data sets and communicating with employees and management to understand the root cause and provide elective solutions.
- Managed a caseload of over 120 employee relations cases during the contract period.
HR BP - Global Talent Consultant (Freelance)
HSBC
London, United Kingdom
2023.06 - 2023.05
- Led a team of 3 consultants, within a global capacity. Designed a talent development program that increased retention by 10% and reduced attrition by 5% by ensuring all employees within the organisation remain motivated to learn and grow with the company.
- Conducted data analysis to understand different aspects of the project and utilised tools including EXCEL, pivot tables, and Power BI for stakeholder management.
- Redesigned career development website, boosting user engagement by 60% and improving the user experience.
- Designed succession plans for critical roles, ensuring adherence to SMCR and continuity, by leading workshops with business leaders.
- Supported the creation of a diversity and inclusion strategy by establishing relationships with external agencies to help inform the strategy and conducting internal research on the current state of diversity within the company.
- Assisted with the policy framework for learning and development, and talent management, and ensured its implementation and compliance at all levels.
HR Business Partner (FTC)
Amazon
Tilbury, United Kingdom
2020.10 - 2022.08
- Improved employee engagement by 15% and reduced attrition rate by {20%} through effective Employee Relations management.
- Coordinated recruitment, leading to a 15% reduction in time-to-hire.
- Monitored staff engagement and attrition rates using various KPIs such as average employee satisfaction score, headcount, and onboarding rate, enabling timely interventions to enhance employee experience.
HR Business Partner (Freelance)
Bp Plc
London, United Kingdom
2021.07 - 2022.06
- Managed and led a team in several agile projects and launched various HR initiatives using the agile methodology, including a new global mobility and appraisal process.
- Conducted over 30 employee relations cases in EMEA, APAC, LATMA, and NA regions by collaborating with legal and business leaders to resolve complex employment issues while protecting company interests.
- Streamlined global employee mobilization, cutting costs by 30% and elevating satisfaction by 50%.
- Supported agile transition, driving a 20% productivity surge and 15% time-to-market reduction.
- Enhanced employee engagement and organisational culture with an online training program, resulting in a 30% increase in engagement.
HR BP - Consultant (Freelance)
Warner Music Group
London, United Kingdom
2022.01 - 2022.05
- Developed and implemented a strategic approach for improving management ability to lead teams more efficiently, resulting in a 20% increase in team productivity within 6 months.
- Managed a team of 3 HR Advisors & Payroll Manager who closely worked on operational tasks including payroll.
- Reduced HR operational costs by 13% by streamlining the recruitment process.
- Spearheaded benchmarking and position regrading, bolstering market competitiveness on diversity peace in relation to paternity benefits.
- Collaborated on VP-level hires, fuelling company growth and success. Led the migration of staff records from payroll system into Workday, reducing processing time by 30% and reducing the number of errors by 50% through weekly status meetings.
Human Resources Project Manager (Freelance)
Haringey Council
London, United Kingdom
2019.12 - 2020.01
- Implementing training to ensure successful restructure process reducing cost of an external consultant to run the entire project creating a saving of over £30000.
- Created the project timeline for an organisation restructure project, resulting in a 23% reduction in workflow time and a 10% increase in performance efficiency.
- Implemented effective change management processes to ensure the successful outcome of the project.
Human Resources Project Manager (Freelance)
XenZone
London, United Kingdom
2019.10 - 2019.12
- Completed a project which benchmarked salaries against competitor companies and the market average 5%, improving the organisations ability to attract new talent by 25%, saving £500K, and maintaining existing talent by 10%.
- Managed the salary benchmarking project in a Med-Tech company within budget and on time by facilitating meetings with the steering committee and creating project plans.
- Led the salary benchmarking project by creating a process for determining the salary ranges for each position, and running the project through a project management software. Reduced the project time by 40%, cut project expenses in half and improved team effectiveness by 20%.
HR Business Partner (FTC)
Compass Group Careers
Regional, United Kingdom
2018.09 - 2019.08
- Met the financial forecasting objectives as outlined by the board of directors by working with the Operations Director to ensure that all department heads submitted their data by monthly deadlines.
- Managed a team of 4 HR Managers across the region.
- Provided day-to-day performance management guidance to upper management resulting in a decrease of employee complaints of unfair treatment from 40% to 15%.
- Managed the recruitment process and formulated employment offer terms for 50+ new hires in 2019.
- Restructured business units for improved profitability by implementing a more effective structure and processes, saving £1 million annually.
- Worked collaboratively with Compliance and Legal on the due diligence for TUPE and other restructure such as redundancy.
- Reduced long-term sickness rates by 45% in a year, by introducing a sickness tracking system and conducting monthly reviews with employees and managers.
Senior HR Advisor (FTC)
Greencore
London, United Kingdom
2017.06 - 2018.09
- Managed HR operations and employee relations by leading a team of HR professionals and collaborating with key stakeholders. Oversaw a team of 5 HR Advisors, HR Assistants, a recruitment coordinator, and an Occupational Health Advisor. Fostered a culture of teamwork and collaboration to ensure optimal HR outcomes.
- Led HR operations, enhancing teamwork and outcomes.
- Reduced absence by 3% in 6 weeks and long-term sick cases by 43% in 6 months.
- Improved onboarding materials and policies, boosting engagement, job satisfaction, and retention.
Senior HR Advisor (FTC)
State Bank of India
London, United Kingdom
2016.06 - 2017.09
- Senior HR Advisor for the Human Resources Department at the State Bank of India. Advised department heads on employee relations, conducted research to improve employee retention rates, and collaborated with the compliance and risk departments to ensure regulatory compliance. These efforts resulted in a 5% increase in retention rates and a 10% increase in revenue.
- Advised on employment relations and researched retention improvements.
- Managed recruitment, rewards, and HR systems.
- Led the implementation of a new HR system.
- Increased employee retention rate by 50%, improved the service response time by 75%, and reduced risk through regulatory compliance solutions.
HR Officer
Bakkavor
London, United Kingdom
2013.09 - 2015.09
- Covering circa 1,400 colleagues - 60% unionised. Line managed and developed the recruitment coordinator, absence coordinator and receptionist.
- In an unionised organisation, operating in a generalist capacity really gaining my initial footing in HR covering Employee Relations, Change Management and Resourcing.
- Reviewed local processes and procedures, and developed updated procedures to address service delivery gaps, resulting in improved service delivery and customer satisfaction.
- Supporting the Head of HR in managing and processing employee recognition and engagement programmes.
- Reduced absence by 2.85% in 9 months and improved employee retention rates to 92%.
Interview Leader
Cultural Care Au Pair
Birmingham, United Kingdom
2014.09 - 2015.08
- Directed and led 8-10 employees on preparation and tasks of each shift while prioritizing customer needs.
- Automated candidate review and interview scheduling flows to increase close rate by 30% and shortened sales cycle by 25%
- Collaborated with over 100 students across 127 countries to identify and generate internship opportunities.
Business Analyst
Barclays
London, United Kingdom
2010.10 - 2013.10
- Researched industry trends to estimate market volatility and forecast revenue figures, leading to a 25% increase in expected returns.
- Implemented Oracle-Hyperion Financial Modeling for better accuracy in financial forecasting, with a focus on improving profitability, resulting in increased returns by19%.
- Built financial and business models to improve accuracy of financial decision-making and identify discrepancies and potential risks without making assumptions.
Education
Master of Human resource Management in CIPD - Human Resources
University of Birmingham
United Kingdom 2014.09 - 2016.05
BA Hons - Marketing & Event Management
University of Hertfordshire
United Kingdom 2009.09 - 2012.05
Skills
- Business Development
- Employment law
- Microsoft Office
- Power BI
- Data Analysts
- Data integrity
- Negotiation skills
- EXCEL
- PowerPoint
- Workday
- PeopleSoft
- SAP Success factor
- HRIS
- ADP
- Program Management
Certification
MCIPD
LANGUAGES
English
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Global Senior Employee Relations Specialist
Dunhummby
2025.07 - Current
HR Business Partner (Freelance)
Dentsu
2024.03 - 2025.04
Client Acquisition Sponsorship & Project Management Specialist (Freelance)
Afrinex
2023.09 - 2024.02
HR BP - Global Talent Consultant (Freelance)
HSBC
2023.06 - 2023.05
HR Business Partner (FTC)
Croner
2023.05 - 2023.08
HR BP - Consultant (Freelance)
Warner Music Group
2022.01 - 2022.05
HR Business Partner (Freelance)
Bp Plc
2021.07 - 2022.06
HR Business Partner (FTC)
Amazon
2020.10 - 2022.08
Human Resources Project Manager (Freelance)
Haringey Council
2019.12 - 2020.01
Human Resources Project Manager (Freelance)
XenZone
2019.10 - 2019.12
HR Business Partner (FTC)
Compass Group Careers
2018.09 - 2019.08
Senior HR Advisor (FTC)
Greencore
2017.06 - 2018.09
Senior HR Advisor (FTC)
State Bank of India
2016.06 - 2017.09
Master of Human resource Management in CIPD - Human Resources
University of Birmingham
2014.09 - 2016.05
Interview Leader
Cultural Care Au Pair
2014.09 - 2015.08
HR Officer
Bakkavor
2013.09 - 2015.09
Business Analyst
Barclays
2010.10 - 2013.10
BA Hons - Marketing & Event Management
University of Hertfordshire
2009.09 - 2012.05