People

Tracey Madgwick has joined the national crime reduction charity Crime
Concern, as HR manager. She joins from West Oxfordshire District Council where
she led a team providing full HR support in moving the culture of the
organisation forward. She has spent 10 years working with local government and
has experience of HR in the private sector. She is based at the charity’s
Swindon headquarters.

What do you hope to achieve in your new role?

Moving the HR function from being predominately administrative to one that
works at a strategic level to support the business.

Which aspects are you most looking forward to?

Raising the profile and importance of good people management at both
strategic and operational levels.

What is the strangest situation you have found yourself in work?

During some customer care training we were designing for refuse collectors,
I spent two days ‘out on the bins’ learning about their job.

What is your essential reading?

Personnel Today and People Management.

What is the best thing about HR?

You can become involved in all aspects of the business and really make a
difference.

And the worst?

Getting too involved in the day-to-day reactive matters.

How do you fill your spare time?

I enjoy walking, gardening, and I’m an active member of my local church. I’m
also a justice of the peace in Swindon.

What is the essential tool in your job?

Selwyn’s Law of Employment – my HR bible.

What advice would you give to people starting out in HR?

To get as much experience as possible, and get involved in areas other than
HR to develop a broader overall view of the business.

If you could do any job in the world what would it be?

A park ranger with National Trust, spending my time creating way-marked
trails.

Madgwick’s CV

2002 HR manager, Crime Concern

1999 Head of HR, West Oxfordshire District Council

1996 HR manager, Swindon Borough Council

1991 Training officer, Thamesdown Borough Council

1990 Assistant personnel manager, Marks & Spencer

On the move

Electrical retailer Dixons has
appointed David Longbottom to the board as an executive director. He has held a
variety of roles since he joined the company as group management development
director in 1987. Prior to joining Dixons he held senior management development
jobs at Lloyds TSB, Courtaulds and British Gas. The HR function has now been
charged with a key role in expansion and succession planning.

The Association of Graduate
Recruiters (AGR) has recruited Melissa Clarke to the newly-created position of
development manager. Clarke is responsible for improving communication with
members and enhancing the membership services that the AGR provides. Her key
challenge is to move towards an individualised approach to members’ needs that
extends beyond the traditional sector distinctions. The AGR is also looking to
expand its membership base so Clarke will lead the drive to develop its
outward-looking communications strategy.

Ray Fletcher, the personnel director
of Remploy, has been elected global chair of Rehabilitation International’s
work and employment commission. The organisation is a global network of people
with disabilities, service providers and government agencies working to improve
the quality of life for the disabled. It aims to promote the concept of
independent living for the disabled by increasing opportunities for full
inclusion in the labour market. Fletcher replaces Dr Fred McFarlane of San
Diego University.