People

Karen Cregan is hoping she can strike the right chord in her new role as HR
and training manager at insurance brokers the Mansion Group.

She joins from Tesco where she was a training manager responsible for the
learning and development of over 345 staff.

Cregan is charged with setting up the HR department and she is hoping that
it will be in tune with the rest of the business.

So what’s with the musical analogies? "My claim to fame is that I write
my own music and once, a long time ago, had a song in the Eurovision song
contest which came 17th out of 500 entries," she explains.
"Unfortunately I didn’t turn out to be the next Bucks Fizz."

Cregan, who is in her final year of the CIPD qualification and will sit
exams in May, has also received a student of the year award.

Her new role will include setting up and managing the HR department,
formalising policies within the business and will cover all resourcing, reward,
relations and development issues.

Cregan says her favourite part of HR is helping people develop personally
and professionally. She is also the mother of an eight-month-old daughter

CV

2002 JL Manson and Partners, HR and training manager
2000 Tesco, training manager
1999 Principal Hotels, HR manager
1993 Virgin Retail, HR support manager

On the move

– Richard Eastmond has been appointed
to the dual role of HR director for LexisNexis Butterworths Tolley and the
LexisNexis Group Europe.

The former director of Reed Elsevier’s international education
publishing business also joins the board of both organisations. He brings HR
experience in management, organisational development, strategy and acquisition
in both the UK and international markets.

– Search and selection firm MRI
Worldwide has recruited Natalie Mortimer as senior consultant.

Her main responsibility is developing HR recruitment practice
with a national remit. Mortimer, based at MRI Worldwide’s office in Sheldon,
West Midlands, has knowledge of recruiting HR and training professionals.

– Rob Wye is the new interim director
of learning programmes at the Learning and Skills Council. He was previously
executive director of the LSC’s Northampton office.

He replaces Geoff Hall who has left the council. Wye has also
held several training roles at the DfEE, Manpower Services Commission and the
Department of Employment.