Daniel Kasmir, HR director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA),
Manpower
Daniel Kasmir has been promoted to HR director, EMEA, at recruitment agency
Manpower. He joined the company in March 2000 with a brief to deliver a change
programme that would evolve the performance and culture of the business. He has
a BSc in economics and international relations from the London School of
Economics.
Which aspects are you most looking forward to?
Travelling and working with people from a diverse range of cultures.
What is the strangest situation you have been in at work?
Being several thousand feet up a Colorado mountain in the freezing cold, all
in the name of leadership development.
How do you think the role of HR will change over the next five years?
Business will continue to become more people centric, at the same time as it
becomes totally global. HR needs to continue its journey from the back of the
organisation to the forefront. We’ll see even more HR people in leadership
slots.
What is your essential viewing?
The West Wing – it’s fantastic and I’m addicted.
What’s the best thing about HR?
People – because the challenges they throw at you are just amazing. It’s a
white-knuckle ride.
And the worst?
Bureaucrats.
How do you fill your spare time?
Family, movies and watching my son’s under-8 football team play (very proud
dad).
What is the greatest risk you have ever taken?
Proposing to my wife after just two weeks. Her greatest risk was saying
‘yes’.
What’s the most overrated HR tool?
Video conferencing. It avoids travel but it’s just not the same as seeing
people in the flesh.
What advice would you give to people starting out in HR?
Get experience. Start at the bottom and understand every element so you’ll
be able to make better decisions. Also, spend lots of time understanding
customers. Speak to the vast network of HR people working in other places.
If you could do any job in the world, what would it be?
Philanthropist, focusing on children’s education
Who would play you in the film of your life and why?
Robert De Niro. He’s versatile and plays lots of roles very well – a daily
challenge for any HR director.
What’s the worst/best office party you’ve ever attended?
I lived and worked in the Netherlands for a couple of years and, on one
occasion, the party involved the team going laser questing. It was an
international team and it felt a little like the Olympics. I fared about as
well as England during the Ashes, but it was a great party.
Kasmir’s cv
2003 HR director EMEA, Manpower
2000 HR director UK, Manpower UK
1998 HR director, Phones4U, Caudwell Communications
1997 HR manager, Shell UK Oil Products
1996 HR strategist, Shell International
On the move
– Social investment, housing and regeneration group Prime Focus has
appointed Sue MacDonald (pictured) as its new head of organisational
development. Prior to this, she spent 18 months heading up the change
management team at the group and before that was its training and development
manager. In her new role, MacDonald will lead a team of 15 people, managing the
HR and training activity within the business. MacDonald has more than 12 years
experience of training and development in housing and healthcare.
– Francesca Okosi has left her job as HR director at Brent Council to take
up a post at the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra). She is
now director of change for Defra, and remains president of local government HR
body the Society of Chief Personnel Officers (Socpo).
– Social enterprise company the Eaga Partnership has appointed a new HR
team, following a period of growth. Dave Routledge is the new HR director while
Linda Ord and Faith Oren have joined as HR advisers. Routledge has been central
in developing the company’s strategic business plan and has HR responsibility
for 600 employees.
– Dow Jones & Company has promoted Mark Davies to regional HR director
with responsibility for more than 500 employees. Davies was originally HR
manager for Dow Jones Newswires, a position he held since joining Dow Jones in
September 2001.
