Career Journeys in HR

Send a textFor over two decades, James Tastard, Ph.D., has served as a Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in the global energy and oil and gas sector, leading people strategy across more than 15 countries. He has helped scale businesses from $25 million to over $2 billion in revenue while stewarding more than $18 billion in organizational value through efficiency, development, and M&A. James has designed and led talent strategies for over 10,000 professionals and 3,000 leaders worldwide, giving him a front‑row seat to what truly drives performance, culture, and leadership at scale. His HR career journey started in Los Angeles, California, to Houston, Texas, you’ll hear how a kid from Los Angeles built a global CHRO career with stops in Saudi Arabia, the UK, Norway, and Russia along the way.  James shares candid stories of his childhood and how he found HR as a career, through to his globetrotting assignments that led to senior executive roles as VPHR, SVPHR, and Chief Human Resources & Administrative Officer. Today, as a fractional HR Executive/CHRO, board member, and executive coach, he helps current and emerging leaders create and accelerate their impact, navigate transformation, and build organizations where people and performance both win . If you’re an executive, an HR leader, or a rising leader looking for an edge, you’ll walk away with real‑world insights you can put to work in your own career and organization

Send a text⏩ Rachel’s background is in People leadership and organisational effectiveness, with almost 20 years’ experience working in international, fast-growth businesses.✈️ She joined Skyscanner in 2014 and has held a number of senior leadership roles within the global People team. Over that time, she has led organisational design, strategic workforce planning, and the evolution of performance and reward frameworks across a 1,600+-person matrixed organisation, supporting the company through significant growth and change. Rachel has held senior HR roles at Amazon and Royal Bank of Scotland. 💻 As organisations navigate the impact of AI on skills, performance and operating models, Rachel helps guide senior leaders through the structural and workforce implications, emphasising employers' responsibility to ensure that technological progress continues to create opportunities and employment for future generations.

Send a textLucy’s background is business psychology with almost 30 years of international experience developing leaders, teams and organisational culture through programme design, coaching and facilitation, including 9 years with Unilever before becoming a consultant. She is CoFounder of Collaboration Equation - a leadership framework built around the mindset and behaviours of Curiosity, Care and Courage to create cultures of human connection that drive collective success. https://lnkd.in/eZHU_egRLucy also co-hosts the Finding Your Collaborative EdgeTM podcast together with cofounder Anni Townend where they invite leaders to share their collaboration stories and the insights they have gained along the way. https://lnkd.in/e2YcwsWTIf that’s not enough, Lucy is also co-creator of the WITHIN personal growth framework, together with Jane Baggott, inviting women to realign, rediscover and reignite their inner power. www.within-retreats.com 

Send a textJanice Doyle is Chief People Officer for Serica Energy plc, one of the largest independent energy operators in the UK.   Before this, Janice has worked for a number of large energy organisations, including EnQuest, Ithaca and Repsol at the C-Suite level.Janice will give us an insight into her journey, from her early career in various HR roles across different organisations and sectors, to ultimately becoming CPO at one of the largest UK energy companies, sharing key experiences along the way.

Send a textElrona is the cofounder of S&K HR Consulting, based in the UAE. She established their consultancy with her sister back in 2015, where they initially supported SME focus on their people. They now support international businesses to expand their operations into the UAE, whilst bridging the gap between home country HR and maintaining the culture of the business. Elrona gives us an insight into Human Resources from her early career, with large international organisations, and then making the transition to running her own company.  

Send a textSadie gives us an insight into Human Resources from her early career at L’Oreal to become Chief People Officer at Chromalloy, a global organisation with over 6,000 people worldwide, and moving to the US.  Sadie is the co-founder of Life Intended, a woman’s self-leadership movement that supports women in reclaiming clarity, confidence and agency. She also explains the transition from the C- Suite to our own consultancy.  

Send a textLiat Berger is Chief People Officer for Cognite based in Norway.  Prior to this role, Liat held a number of leadership roles positions with Aker Solutions, including SVP for People and Organisation within their corporate head office, and other leadership roles across their different product lines across multiple locations including Norway and Brazil. She also worked in different sectors prior to this for Kraft Foods and HSBC.   Liat will give us insight into Human Resources from her early career in Brazil, including her academic career.  She also provided insight on an early upbringing across different cultures and how this impacted her and her future career as well as sharing her very unique career journey.  

Send a textDaniel Bosman is Vice President for HR Services Delivery with Technip Energies based in the Netherlands.  Prior to this Daniel has worked in a variety of roles and locations for Technip including, Aberdeen, London, Paris and Rome as well as the Netherlands.Daniel will give us an insight into Human Resources from his early career in the Netherlands, including his academic education. He will also provide insight into working across multiple roles in different countries but with same organisation for past 20 years.  

Send a textAt the time of recording Melanie Bowes was Human Resources Director for the Kellogg Company covering UK&I for Sales, European IT leadership teams and now founder of Budie which provides HR Consultancy and Career Coaching.  Prior to this Melanie worked for Asahi Beverages in Australia and Tokyo, Origin Energy and Wood Group PSN in Melbourne.   Melanie gives us an insight into Human Resources from her early career in Australia, but we also explore the other international locations and roles she has carried across very different business sectors.  

Send a textNatalie Brindeau is currently Stop Hunger Europe Director since 2019. Prior to that she has worked for Sodexo across a number of global locations since 2002, including France, Africa, US and UK.  She also worked previously at Disneyland Paris for 10 years. She was educated in France but also studied in Canada too.  Natalie gives us an insight into Human Resources from her early career in France, but we also explore the other international locations and roles she has carried out over the past 20 to 30 years. 

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Send a textStuart Payne is our final guest of this series.  Stuart has just moved into new role as Chief Executive of the North Sea Transition Authority.  In this episode we discuss Stuart's early career in HR working within large international organisations across different geography (US and UK).  We also discuss his work outside of HR in the third sector and finally going beyond senior HR leadership roles and becoming a Chief Executive at one of the key industry bodies in Energy.A fantastic guest to finish these series of career journeys.  Six fantastic discussions, six very different paths, six passionate highly successful HR professionals.

Send a textKim Woolner is our fifth guest on this podcast.   Kim is the Head of People and Culture at Ithaca Energy.  I have known Kim for over 10 years through a number of different HR network forum within Aberdeen Energy sector.In this episode we will explore Kim entry into Human Resources and her early journey.  We then explore her move into a different industry and location in London ,before her return to Aberdeen and Oil and Gas into senior roles. We also discuss Kim involvement in Well Being and its increasing impact on Human Resources.  

Send a textStuart Payne is our final guest of this series out Friday.  Stuart has just moved into new role as Chief Executive of the North Sea Transition Authority a m.  In this episode we discuss Stuart's early career in HR working within large international organisations across different geography (US and UK).  We also discuss his work outside of HR in the third sector and finally going beyond senior HR leadership roles and becoming a Chief Executive at one of the key industry bodies in Energy.A fantastic guest to finish these series of career journeys.  Six fantastic discussions, six very different paths, six passionate highly successful HR professionals.Catch the full show from Friday

Send a textKim Woolner is our fifth guest on this podcast, out Friday.   Kim is the Head of People and Culture at Ithaca Energy.  I have known Kim for over 10 years through a number of different HR network forum within Aberdeen Energy sector.In this episode we will explore Kim entry into Human Resources and her early journey.  We then explore her move into a different industry and location in London ,before her return to Aberdeen and Oil and Gas into senior roles. We also discuss Kim involvement in Well Being and its increasing impact on Human Resources.  Hear the full episode from Friday

Send a textSally Clift is our fourth guest on this podcast.  Sally Clift is Global HR Business Partner at JLL Services in London. I have known Sally for over 20 years having both worked together at Texaco.In the episode we get insight into Human Resources across different geographies as Sally has worked in Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Australia as well as the UK.  Sally has also worked in a number of different  industries including Oil and Gas, Financial and Commercial Real Estate including supporting the Third Sector too.

Send a textToni Wilks is our third guest on this podcast.  Toni Wilks is HR Director for Corporate Development at Subsea 7, and we worked together during my time at Subsea 7.In this episode we will get insight into Toni first impressions of Human Resources, which were not that favourable as someone from an Engineering background.  We then explore her journey in Human Resources, in particular focusing as a specialist within Organisational Development and Talent Management, and why these roles so important to success of any organisation.    

Send a textSally Clift is our fourth guest on this podcast, out Friday.  Sally Clift is Global HR Business Partner at JLL Services in London. I have known Sally for over 20 years having both worked together at Texaco.In the episode we get insight into Human Resources across different geographies as Sally has worked in Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Australia as well as the UK.  Sally has also worked in a number of different  industries including Oil and Gas, Financial and Commercial Reinstate including supporting the Third Sector too.Hear the full episode from Friday.

Send a textToni Wilks is our third guest on this podcast, out Friday.  Toni Wilks is HR Director for Corporate Development at Subsea 7, and we worked together during my time at Subsea 7.In this episode we will get insight into Toni first impressions of Human Resources, which were not that favourable as someone from an Engineering background.  We then explore her journey in Human Resources, in particular focusing as a specialist within Organisational Development and Talent Management, and why these roles so important to success of any organisation.    Catch the episode in full when it's released Friday.

Send a textGillian Thomson is our first guest on this podcast. She is the Founder of the Fearless Edge and is an executive coach and leadership consultant.  She is also instrumental in the creation of the podcast, following my participation in her, and David Wynn's, Heart Centre Leadership Programme. Gillian gives us an insight into Human Resources within large organisations from her early career but we also explore the role of an HR Consultant supporting numerous companies which she's done successfully for the last 10 years. 

Send a textGraeme Cook is our second guest on this podcast. Graeme is Chief People Officer at the Alshaya Group, and at the time of recording was just finishing up with Keller.  In this episode we discuss Graeme’s entry into Human Resources, and his progression to Chief People Officer and some of the key experiences along this journey.  We also discuss some of the changes he has experienced within Human Resources during his career.

Send a textGraeme Cook is our second guest on this podcast, out Friday.  Graeme is Chief People Officer at the Alshaya Group, and at the time of recording was just finishing up with Keller.  In this episode we discuss Graeme’s entry into Human Resources, and his progression to Chief People Officer and some of the key experiences along this journey.  We also discuss some of the changes he has experienced within Human Resources during his career.Hear the episode in full from Friday

Send a textGillian Thomson is our first guest on this podcast, out soon.  She is the Founder of the Fearless Edge and is an executive coach and leadership consultant.  She is also instrumental in the creation of the podcast, following my participation in her, and David Wynn's, Heart Centre Leadership Programme. Gillian gives us an insight into Human Resources within large organisations from her early career but we also explore the role of an HR Consultant supporting numerous companies which she's done successfully for the last 10 years. Hear the full episode soon.