Barbara Harris, the new HR director at OSS group, has set herself ambitious
targets and isn’t afraid to acknowledge it as she sets up the HR department
from scratch.
"HR can save thousands of pounds a year by ensuring that recruitment is
effective and that employees are led and managed well," she says.
"I anticipate that through having HR support, the company’s profit next
year will benefit by an additional 25 per cent – driving clear strategic
targets, managing performance and non-performance, developing a culture of ‘can
do’ thinking and pride."
OSS is a specialist waste management company which previously did not have
an HR department. Harris will set up the HR function and be responsible for
supporting strategy, organisational design, culture change and building a
framework of policies. The company has a workforce of 300 and she will be based
at the firm’s UK head office near Leeds.
"I’m looking forward to seeing the firm achieve its aims and having
people queuing up to work for OSS. I also want the majority of employees saying
that it’s a great place to work," she adds.
Harris joins from Cott Beverages, a Canadian soft drinks manufacturer where
she was HR director with responsibility for the European arm of the business.
"The thing I enjoy most about my work is I get the chance to help the
business exceed its expectations. I like to help make good managers excellent
and enjoy the constant variety of consistent challenges," she says.
CV
2001 HR director, OSS group
1996 HR director, Cott Beverages
1991 Personnel manager, Ben Shaws Â
1987 Personnel assistant, Jarvis Porter
On the move
Jane Amos has been appointed
executive for operations and people development at the Staffordshire Building
Society. Prior to joining the company as HR controller four years ago, Amos was
with the Alliance & Leicester. She will have overall responsibility for HR
and training as well as the quality of customer service provided by the society.
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Naomi Stanford has joined Marks & Spencer as head of
organisation design and capability. The newly created position will focus on
skill requirements for the business. She joins from British Airways having been
there four years as managing consultant specialising in organisation design and
development. Previous jobs have been with the Xerox Corporation, Price
Waterhouse and Prudential in a variety of roles related to individual and
organisational learning.
The Metropolitan Police has made Martin Tiplady HR director. He
moves from group head of HR at The Berkeley Group to take over from deputy
assistant commissioner Peter Clarke. Previously Tiplady has been HR director at
Westminster Healthcare Holdings, personnel director for the Housing Corporation
and assistant director of social services for the London Borough of Haringey.
He will be the Met’s most senior personnel professional reporting directly to
assistant commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe.
