People

Video communication specialist
Video Meeting Company has appointed Helena Holrick as senior trainer. Holrick,
32, joins from TGI Fridays where she was new store opening team leader. Her new
role involves designing and delivering bespoke training packages to external
clients. She said, "We focus on ensuring users can confidently use video
meetings as part of their day-to-day business operations."

Specialist provider of
student and NHS key worker accommodation the Unite group has picked Andrew Lee as
HR director. Lee is a fellow of the CIPD and is studying for a doctorate in
psychology and organisational change. Before joining Unite, Lee held senior HR
positions with Marriott Hotels and Whitbread before joining a US consultancy
specialising in organisational change, culture and team development.

Grant McEwan is the
new head of HR at Phones 4u, part of the Caudwell Group. The expanding chain of
mobile phone stores will have 300 outlets by the end of this year. Before
joining Newcastle under Lyme based Phones 4u, McEwan was regional personnel
manager at The Link, part of the Dixons Stores Group. He has also held HR roles
at Littlewoods in Russia and the UK and at the House of Fraser.

National recruitment
company Now Recruitment has appointed Alan Wainright as operations director.
His role will allow managing director Gary Redman to focus on the company’s
expansion programme into the permanent positions sector.

Top job

Lesley Wade has been
appointed to the new head of HR position at Securicor Omega Express.

Reporting to the
divisional HR director and based at the Sutton office in London, she will be
responsible for the management of the company’s HR function in the UK.

Wade has extensive
experience in HR management and, as well as a degree in business administration
and German, she holds a post-graduate diploma in personnel management and she
is a corporate member of the CIPD.

She said,
"Securicor Omega Express employs more than 9,500 people throughout the UK.

"An important
initial task is to consolidate the HR function to ensure that a consistent
approach and common standards are maintained across all of our core people
management processes.

"HR is an
integral part of the operation within Securicor and we can contribute to the
competitive advantage of the business by ensuring we have an informed,
motivated and skilled workforce."

Securicor Omega
Express is one of the leading companies in the field of same-day and next-day
document and parcel courier services.

Personal profile

Aaron Mounds is the
new equal opportunities and diversity adviser for the Construction Industry
Training Board (CITB). He has worked in equal opportunities roles in the United
States Air Force, the Commission for Racial Equality and Hampshire Constabulary.

What is the most
important lesson you have learnt in your career?
If you take care
of your people, they will take care of you and the job. You must learn to
listen and listen to learn.

What is the best thing
about working in HR?
From an equal opportunities
standpoint, advising managers and helping them implement positive changes that
influence how people live, work and play.

What is the worst?
Not being listened to by
managers who ask for your advice and guidance and then things go wrong.

If you had three
wishes to change your organisation, what would they be?
Fix problems rather than
spend time documenting them; remember that equal opportunities and diversity
are a central component of growth and remember that the principles of equality
of opportunity are easier to fight for than to live by.

If you could adopt the
management style of a historical character, whose would you adopt and why?
The late General Daniel
‘Chappie’ James, the first black four star general in the US Air Force. He
inspired young black airmen in the 1970s to take advantage of the education and
training opportunities while in the military to overcome racism and
discrimination. General James was one of the original ‘Tuskegee Airmen’, a
fighter pilot in Vietnam and held a variety of commands. The two most important
things he said are: "Excellence will always overcome racism" and
"When opportunity knocks, don’t get caught packing your bags".
Chappie inspired me and many others – not just blacks but whites – to get
university degrees which later led to me getting a commission as an officer in
the US Air Force.

What is your greatest
strength?
My ability to listen to
people when they are dealing with work-related crises.

What is your least
appealing characteristic?
Some people say that I don’t
smile enough and that sometimes I look too serious. I think when they see that
look, I’m usually in deep thought.

CV Aaron Mounds

1994-2001 Equal opportunities
advisor, Hampshire Constabulary
1992-1994 Commission for
Racial Equality, higher executive officer for complaints
1987-1992 Chief of equal
opportunities, US Air Force
1979-1983 US Air Force equal
opportunities and race relations officer