People

Andrew Gordon has joined William Mercer as a European partner to head its
employment law consulting team. His previous position was a lecturer in
international business law at London University and he has more than 10 years’
legal consulting experience, most recently as a senior litigator with US law
firm DiNuro Ginsberg Lieberman PC. Gordon will be advising companies on all
aspects of employment law, including pre- and post-merger employment issues,
discrimination, data protection and working time.

Peter Rogerson has been appointed deputy chairman of the CITB by Lifelong
Learning Minister Malcolm Wicks. He replaces Peter Rainbird, who retired on 31
March. Rogerson, who is chairman of Rogerson Roofing, of Glidersome, Leeds,
joined the CITB board in November 2000 as an employer member. He is a board
member of the Roofing Industry Alliance, chairman of the National Roofing
Training Group and a member of the North Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council.

Benefits consultancy Towers Perrin has appointed Margaret Snowdon as
European leader at Technology Solutions practice. Snowdon has more than 20
years’ of knowledge and expertise in pensions and benefits consulting. She
previously worked for Sedgwick Noble Lowndes as a director, where her
responsibilities included pensions and benefits consulting, managing regional
operations and administration policy. Snowdon will head a team of consultants
who lead the way in providing administration, Web and technology solutions to
clients in the new e-connected world.

Top Job

West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (WYMAS) has appointed a new
executive HR director.

He is Stephen Griffin, who has for the last three years been director of
employment relations for the Royal College of Nursing.

WYMAS is one of the country’s top performing ambulance services and is also
responsible for NHS Direct West Yorkshire and the nurse agency scheme NHS
Professionals.

Griffin, who lives in York, will be responsible for all HR issues in the
trust.

The organisation is currently expanding its operations to include Telecare
and developing NHS Professionals nationally. NHS Professionals is a non-profit
organisation set up by WYMAS in 1999, and has now been adopted as a national
nurse agency scheme. It offers nurses agency flexibility with the added
benefits of a health service pension scheme, better career opportunities and
continuous professional development.

Griffin said, "I am delighted to be joining WYMAS, particularly to help
establish NHS Professionals as the NHS agency for temporary clinical staff.

"There are some significant HR challenges, but resolving workforce
issues is key to making the NHS plan become a reality."

Personal Profile

Steve Bevan is HR director Europe for PeoplePC, a three-year-old company
specialising in enabling organisations to connect their staff to the Internet
at home

What is the most important lesson you have learnt in your career?
To always be open to change and opportunities. PeoplePC provides very
different challenges from those I faced in established organisations.

What is the strangest situation you have had to deal with at work?
Being in the office when Wales were playing Scotland at rugby. As a
fanatical Welsh rugby supporter who attends nearly all their matches, it seemed
strange to be working while the game was being played.

If your house was on fire and you could save one object, what would it
be?
A grandfather clock which has been in the family since 1760.

If you had three wishes to change your firm, what would they be?
I would make PeoplePC famous. I would make it Europe’s No1, recognised for
its unique proposition to firms wishing to bridge the digital divide by
connecting staff to the Internet at home.

What is the best thing about HR?
Aligning people’s aspirations with a company’s goals – a win/win formula.

What is the worst?
When you develop talented people and they walk away to fulfil their career
aspirations elsewhere.

You have stumbled upon a time machine hidden in the vaults of your
company building. What time period would you visit and why?
Mid 21st century, to see the benefits of flexi-working, more people wired
at home achieving better work-life balance and promoting other online activity.
This would ease transport congestion and contribute to a more environmentally
friendly society. Idealistic? Maybe, maybe not!

If you could adopt the management style of an historical character, whose
would you adopt?
Mahatma Gandhi – an inspiring leader, whose inner spiritual strength exuded
conviction, determination and dignity.

What would you do if you had more spare time?
I would spend as much time with my children as possible, and have more time
for myself to read.

What is your greatest strength?
Keeping my sense of humour.

What is your least appealing characteristic?
My wife tells me it is impatience.

What is the greatest risk you ever took?
Joining a 21st century start-up called PeoplePC – and it’s been great!