RBS HR director Neil Roden has announced his resignation, saying the time was right now the bank was “stable and moving from being a problem to an opportunity”.
Roden told Personnel Today he will continue working at RBS for another five to six months to help the chief executive Stephen Hester secure a replacement.
He said: “After working for 30 years continuously, the last 10 in my current role, I need a break and the organisation needs a change. Everyone can go on too long and I didn’t want to do that, and with RBS now stable and moving from being a problem to an opportunity, I think the time is right.”
Roden does not currently have another job lined up, but did not rule out leaving the HR profession altogether and said he wants to take the time off to consider his options.
The HR chief said: “I want to take the time to think about what I might do next, and the truth is in a job like mine you never really have that time.”
He added the only thing he has lined up after he finishes at RBS is an intensive Spanish course.
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Roden said he was proud to “have created a great HR function which has supported our business through the good and the bad times”.
Before joining RBS as HR director, Roden worked as a general manager covering HR in Europe for the National Australia Group.