David Bower, former personnel
director and board member of Rover Group has been appointed chairman of Chiaros
Holdings, the holding company for the UK arm of international training
consultancy TMI.
Bower has spent more than 20 years with
Rover Group. He presided over employee relations during the company’s takeover.
A companion of the CIPD, Bower was appointed Principal Fellow of Warwick
Manufacturing Group in November 1999 and a member of the CAC in April.
Nick Foster is the HR director for
Europe, Middle East and Africa for Rational Software, which develops software
to test and develop other computer programs. Foster was previously HR director
for the networking software producer Novel and in his new role he will be
responsible for all HR matters across EMEA regions. Foster said, “One of the
challenges of the job is dealing with a high growth rate and putting in place
HR infrastructure, preferably using the Web.“
Neil Beckley has been appointed by
the recruitment specialist Pluswork Group as the new sales and service manager
at its Middleton office. Pluswork supplies long and short-term temporary
workers to businesses in the area, specialising in industrial jobs such as
production workers, warehouse operatives and fork lift drivers. Beckley said,
“Having an office in Middleton and local staff gives us an ideal platform to
work from and a wealth of local knowledge. We also provide a more reliable
service because we aim to supply local people to local jobs.”
Top
job
Jon
Parsons has been appointed European personnel director for the direct marketing
company Brann Worldwide. He will take charge of the company’s business in
Europe, which employs 3,000 people.
The
appointment follows Brann’s acquisition of the French direct marketing agency
Communider, which is part of the company’s aggressive expansion drive on the
continent.
Brann
is looking to consolidate its existing network of agencies in Europe by
purchasing direct marketing companies in Germany, Italy, Spain and Denmark by
the end of the year.
Parsons,
who in his leisure likes to play tenor saxophone and is a chairman of governors
at a local school, said the biggest challenge facing the company was
maintaining good personnel practice as the company expanded.
He
said, “It is the employment practices and the ability to recruit good people
which makes the difference.
“I
call it ensuring the flow of talent – making sure our people have the
capability and the confidence to serve our customers.
“One
of the main challenges I will face is to ensure that a diverse set of employees
can communicate and work together.”
Personal
Profile
David
Rabone is the new head of staffing solutions at Midas IT services. His
appointment follows positions as sales director for Tangent Recruitment and
contract sales manager for Computer People.
What
is the most important lesson you have learnt in your career?
“Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” – I value loyalty,
trust and ethics very highly, and learned early in my career that they cannot
be taken for granted.
What
is the strangest situation you have had to deal with?
How to quickly replace a laser printer that had just been thrown out of a
third-floor window by an enraged MD.
If
your house was on fire and you could save one object, what would it be?
Family photo album (all the other evidence would go up in the flames).
What
is the best and worst thing about working in HR?
People – in both cases.
You
have stumbled upon a time machine hidden in the vaults of your company
building. What time period would you visit and why?
To hear the speech delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in
Washington on 28 August 1963 by Martin Luther King.
If
you could adopt the management style of a historical character, whose would you
adopt?
Margaret Thatcher had an interesting style.
What
would you do if you had more spare time?
Manage my time with my family and children better.
If
you were to write a book, which subject would you choose to write about?
How to manage your time with your family and children better.
What
is your greatest strength?
Understanding people (and arm wrestling).
What
is your least appealing characteristic?
Sarcasm.
What
is the greatest risk you ever took?
Climbing a cliff face on a Welsh mountain in a Force Five gale and then
abseiling down again.
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CV
David Rabone
2001
to date Head of staffing solutions, Midas IT Services
1999-2001 Sales director, Tangent Recruitment
1997-1999 Contract sales manager, Computer People
1995-1997 Contracts manager, team leader, Resources International
1984-1995 Branch manager, Legal & General
