Simon Hunter
Dubai,UAE
Summary
An accomplished and internationally experienced HR Business Partner with 18 years experience across diverse industries including Consulting, Defence, Construction and Transportation. With a Masters degree in Human Resource Management and UK CIPD certification, I deliver strategic and operational HR solutions at local, regional, and global levels. I thrive in dynamic, multicultural environments, having worked and lived across the Middle East and UK regions. My expertise spans transformation projects, employee engagement, employee relations, leadership development, policy and process development, recruitment, succession planning and talent development.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
HR Consultant
Hunterinc
London
01.2026 - Current
- Providing HR Consultancy advice regarding the full employee life cycle.
Career Break
Travelling and Family Matters
08.2025 - 12.2025
HR Manager
Milliman
Dubai
02.2024 - 07.2025
- HR Manager MENA region, responsible for 100 employees, a stand-alone role to work closely with on-site Leadership to support to Middle East’s practices’ goals and culture by providing HR services across multiple regional sites.
- Key Achievements:
- Talent Acquisition: Conducted 200 interviews in 6 months to increase headcount for new regional Pakistan office. Increased headcount by 25 staff within 12 months. Streamlined onboarding process and took ownership of full recruitment cycle from contract creation, onboarding, induction and termination / exit interviews.
- Policy & Procedures: Creating and updating 3 regional HR Handbooks for Saudi, Dubai and Karachi offices. Creation of new policies and processes for Absence Management & Performance Management.
- Culture & Engagement: Driving Employment Engagement Survey, increased employee participation from 0 to 80% across all regional offices.
- Employee Relations: Managing poor performance, conducting Performance Improvement Plans, conducting Disciplinaries and managing conflict. Mitigating company reputational damage with complex employee relations cases.
- Workforce Planning: Sourcing talent for new Pakistan Office. Transfer of 10 third-party contractors to full time employees under new Milliman entity.
- Stakeholder Mgt: Co-ordination with other HR global COEs on HR initiatives and HR Operations.
- Compensation & Benefits: Created new organisation role structure through job evaluation and benchmarking. Introduced new regional rewards scheme.
HR Business Partner
Korn Ferry
Dubai
01.2023 - 01.2024
- HR Business Partner for MENA region, responsible for 350 employees, working closely with the Managing Partners within the UAE, KSA, Qatar and Turkey to serve as a dedicated partner, focusing on talent, performance, organisational development, culture and engagement.
- Key Achievements:
- Performance Management: Supporting leadership teams to identify team and/or individual performance issues and provide counsel / coaching to line managers.
- Talent Management: Assisting business leaders with talent review processes.
- Employee Relations: Supporting the HR Director, EMEA and Associate General Counsel, EMEA on the resolution of complex employee relations issues (e.g. Disciplinaries, Grievances, Performance Management Processes, Flexible Working Requests etc).
- Change Management: Managing redundancies from Global reductions within the region, assisting management with employee consultations.
- Global Mobility: Relocation of Staff from UAE to Saudi Offices, ensuring working visa and transfers were implemented accurately with managing and driving 3 party agencies.
- Policy & Procedure: Effectively communicating and implementing relevant HR policies and processes.
- Compensation execution: providing guidance related to new hires, promotion and annual compensation review activities.
HR Business Partner
BAE Systems
Taif
11.2018 - 12.2022
- HR BP responsible for 1,000 employees across three work streams (Maintenance, Flying Operations and Technical Support) supporting the Royal Saudi Air Force in delivery of a major high performance-based availability service contract.
- Key Achievements:
- Change Management: Delivery of the largest HR Transformation project for the Saudi Regional offices (involving 600+ employees).
- Training Development: Mentoring and coaching 8 local employees with HR best practices.
- Global Mobility: Covid resolutions regarding relocation of staff globally, updating Health and Safety procedures for onsite close working and compensation and benefit consultations regarding annual leave and salary reductions.
- Employee Relations: Managing Long term sick cases and death in service cases across 3 work streams.
- Stakeholder Mgt: Optimizing HR performance in respective business areas. Consultative approach to understand and diagnose the issues before working with line management and key stakeholders to develop a solution and influence change. Involved in weekly and monthly Management of People sessions with Senior Leadership Team.
- Policy & Procedure: Working as part of HR Team to manage the provision of advice and support to first line managers and employees on HR policy interpretation and leveraging the support of HR services team to embed cyclical HR processes and tools.
- Talent Acquisition: Carrying out inductions for new starters to KSA and the Company.
- Compensation and Benefits: Responsible for implementing changes to employee benefits in contractual terms and conditions (T&Cs). Executing and delivering 360 signed new contracts to HR central function.
- HR Reporting: Developing and maintaining monthly dashboard presentations to report on HR.
HR Business Partner
Structure Tone Limited
London
09.2017 - 11.2018
- HR Business Partner responsible for 200 employees managing the overall provisions of the human resource services to deliver a comprehensive HR service to the business in both the UK and Ireland markets.
HR Business Partner
BAE Systems
Riyadh
01.2013 - 06.2016
HR Adviser, Contract
Mott Macdonald
London, United Kingdom
10.2012 - 12.2012
HR Advice Partner, Contract
NG Bailey
London & SE, United Kingdom
12.2011 - 11.2012
HR Officer
Network Rail
London
01.2007 - 12.2011
Education
MA - Human Resource Management (CIPD)
Manchester Metropolitan University
United KingdomBsc - Management Science and Business Administration
University of Kent at Canterbury
United KingdomInternational Baccalaureate - undefined
United World College of South East Asia
SingaporeSkills
- HR policies implementation
- End-to-end recruitment
- Consultancy
- Training and inductions
- Talent acquisition strategy
- Managing and mentoring
- Leadership development
- Employee relations expertise
- Workforce analytics
- Succession planning
- Conflict Resolution
- Performance Management
Affiliations
- Keen Sportsman, golf, squash, padel, scuba diving.
- Travel
Certification
CIPD Associate
Timeline
HR Consultant
Hunterinc
01.2026 - Current
Career Break
Travelling and Family Matters
08.2025 - 12.2025
HR Manager
Milliman
02.2024 - 07.2025
HR Business Partner
Korn Ferry
01.2023 - 01.2024
HR Business Partner
BAE Systems
11.2018 - 12.2022
HR Business Partner
Structure Tone Limited
09.2017 - 11.2018
HR Business Partner
BAE Systems
01.2013 - 06.2016
HR Adviser, Contract
Mott Macdonald
10.2012 - 12.2012
HR Advice Partner, Contract
NG Bailey
12.2011 - 11.2012
HR Officer
Network Rail
01.2007 - 12.2011
Bsc - Management Science and Business Administration
University of Kent at Canterbury
International Baccalaureate - undefined
United World College of South East Asia
MA - Human Resource Management (CIPD)
Manchester Metropolitan University