Based on the Isle of Man, Roy Martin is head of corporate
services for the island’s Police Service and chairman of the local CIPD branch.
He has previously held, in both the public and private sectors, a variety of
senior appointments at director and managing board level.

What is the most important lesson you have learned in
your career?

No matter how good it was, the past cannot be recaptured;
there is no going back. Organisational management must look forward.

What is the strangest situation you’ve had to deal with
at work?

Moving – after years of handling redundancy situations and
experiencing high unemployment –  to an
island where there is zero unemployment and where

ability to work is regulated by work permit.

If you had three wishes to change your company what would
they be?

To have the resources to meet the public expectations of our
service, to guarantee the safety of our police officers and to be able to
reward excellent performance.

What is the best thing about working in HR?

Being recognised as so critical to the success of an
enterprise that human resources practitioners are an automatic choice for any
project/management group.

What the worst thing about working in HR?

Being seen by unenlightened line managers as administrators
and providers of non-strategic support services.

What motivates you to go to work?

Making the difference – there’s never a dull moment
when introducing change into organisations.

What is your greatest strength?

Getting people motivated and into the spirit and ethics of
things despite themselves or their organisational hang-ups.

What is your least appealing characteristic?

My unwillingness to accept that some people in organisations
don’t always see that my proposals are for the good of the company and that my
suggestions are made from the best of motives.

CV

1998 to date head of corporate services, Isle of Man
Constabulary

1996 Director of human resources, North Wales Police

1992 Human resources manager, Enron Power Operations

1989 Personnel development manager, Clayton Aniline

1987 Personnel manager – Scotland, Kelco
International

1985 Employee relations representative, Marathon Oil UK