Movers and shakers: HR appointments – Ann Pickering to step down from O2 role

Personnel Today’s update of recent appointments in the human resources world includes a new HR director for O2.

Leaver arriving, Pickering leaving

O2 has announced the departure of Ann Pickering who is stepping down from her roles as chief HR officer and chief of staff after 16 years in the business. O2’s Catherine Leaver (pictured, left)) is appointed to the executive team as HR director starting in April. Pickering led on gender parity on the company’s UK board and a significant increase to paid paternity leave, taking the company policy to 14 weeks’ paid for all permanent employees.

Leaver has worked for Telefonica Group in HR roles in Germany and the UK since 2005, latterly as global transformation director. She is a graduate of Aston and Birmingham University and has also worked at Compass Group and Tech Data. Pickering is focusing on non-executive roles outside of O2: among roles she lists on LinkedIn are trustee of Breast Cancer Now and Step Up To Serve and visiting professor of human resource management and employability at Sheffield University Management School.

In a statement, Pickering (pictured, left) said she was happy to see Leaver taking on her new role: “This was a tremendously difficult decision, but it’s the right time for the business, the right time for me and importantly the right time for Catherine. I’m so pleased to see her moving up into this role and I’m sure she will bring the energy and dedication our people truly deserve.”

Leaver announced: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the executive team at O2. I have spent the last two years working closely with Ann and I’m looking forward to building on the fantastic work she has started.”

A man with facility

Facility provider ABM UK has appointed Chris Townsend as senior director of HR for the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. For the past 10 months Townsend has worked in a contractor role to support company’s UK HR team. Initial priorities are set to include driving greater alignment in the UK with a new HR operating model in areas such as talent, rewards and HR shared services, while leading the company’s HR business partners. He was previously HR director at Renaissance Services SAOG, an international facilities management and service solutions company, where he supported the transformation of the business in Oman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Prior to this, Chris spent over 15 years at Mitie Cleaning & Environmental Services, where he led the HR organisation in the UK.

Looks good on the CV

Independent jobs board CV-Library has chosen the company’s former finance and HR director Matthew Moore as managing director. Prior to joining CV-Library, Moore was senior finance contractor at credit solutions provider CapQuest and before that, finance director at preschool provider Casterbridge Nurseries. He gained professional qualifications at Ashridge Business School, Birmingham University and the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

See more Movers and Shakers, from 6 January 2020, 18 December 2019 and 10 December 2019