Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Careers in HRThe HR profession

Interview with Lynne Rutherford

by Personnel Today 3 Dec 2009
by Personnel Today 3 Dec 2009

How did you get to where you are now?

Interpersonal effectiveness, leading great teams, and getting to know the business, plus a ‘can do’ approach to everything.

What takes up most of your time at work?

Succession management.

Which three attributes are needed to do your job?

Self-awareness, integrity, and loads of energy.

What legislation causes you the most headaches?

Immigration and tax laws that make it difficult to move talent around the world.

How do you keep up with new and changing legislation?

In the UK, I try to attend updates, but in the rest of the world it’s a matter of reading as much as I can and asking the advice of my colleagues in each region.

What’s HR’s biggest legal challenge?

Immigration and tax laws that make it difficult to move talent around the world. Sorry to sound repetitive, but it drives me nuts.

What’s the most challenging case/situation you’ve had to deal with?

It was in South Africa, when I had to investigate a director for company credit card fraud. He was well-connected with a certain political party, and I had to have a 24-hour guard for myself and my family until the matter was resolved. He was found guilty and fired.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Working in a global role, with a diversity of cultures and business practices.

What would be in your room 101?

HR jargon that impresses no-one.

What really annoys you in life generally?

Corporate greed.

If you could wish away one employment law, what would it be?

Well, hopefully my wish will come true – the Default Retirement Age.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Child abuse.

When you were a youngster, what was your ambition?

To be the lead violinist in an orchestra – and no, I can’t play the violin, but one can dream.

Who’s your hero?

Helen Keller. She was an American author, political activist and lecturer, and the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

CV



  • 2008-present, Group vice-president, talent management, Brambles
  • 2006-2008 Global HR director,talent management, Fortis, Brussels
  • 1999-2006 Various senior HR generalist and specialist roles, Aviva
  • 1997-1999 HR director, First National Corporate & Investment Banking Group (South Africa)
  • 1995-1997 HR development executive, Central News Agency (South Africa)

Personnel Today
Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Immigration checks – insist on chapter and verse
next post
Failure to boost social worker pay could lead to new salary body

You may also like

CIPD’s Peter Cheese: ‘HR shouldn’t be afraid to...

8 Jun 2023

Why embracing big data is HR’s key to...

6 Jun 2023

Kellogg, Finnair, Pladis make key HR appointments: Movers...

2 Jun 2023

One in five HR professionals considering changing jobs

31 May 2023

CBI appoints chief people officer after misconduct allegations

16 May 2023

Artificial intelligence for HR: What is it and...

4 May 2023

HR vacancies fell by a third in early...

3 May 2023

Employment bodies IES and IPA to merge

27 Apr 2023

People analytics is HR’s biggest skills gap, finds...

4 Apr 2023

News UK appoints head of diversity: Movers and...

30 Mar 2023

  • The HR Bundle: Your one-stop guide to building a successful global HR Department PROMOTED | Get your hands on Deel’s free HR bundle...Read more
  • The Benefits of an Employee Assistance Programme PROMOTED | EAPs support employees in a range of ways...Read more
  • Intergenerational working and how to manage up and down the generations PROMOTED | The benefits and challenges of intergenerational workplaces...Read more
  • Bereavement in the workplace: How training can help HR get it right PROMOTED | HR professionals play an essential role...Read more
  • UK workforce mental wellbeing needs PROMOTED | The mental wellbeing support employers are providing misses the mark...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2023

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2023 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+