Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Careers in HRPeople NewsThe HR profession

Top job: Bennadetta Peto, HR director, Cabot Financial

by Personnel Today 2 Apr 2009
by Personnel Today 2 Apr 2009

Where were you working before, and what were your responsibilities?

I have been an interim manager for quite some time, usually in senior HR roles or project management, so my responsibilities have been really varied, depending on assignment requirements. However, most have had a strong change and project management bias.

What qualifications do you hold?

I have a BA (Hons) in business studies.

What are the duties in your new role?

I am responsible for all aspects of the company’s strategic HR agenda for the UK, including training and development.

What are the main challenges HR faces in the next five years?

Improving retention and engagement, developing and embedding key skills (such as customer service) and leadership development.

What is the most overrated tool in your job?

E-mail – it tends to encourage us to communicate in a negative way rather than really engaging with colleagues and resolving issues.

And what work tool would you like to see invented?

An e-mail blocker or filter (see above).

What is the worst thing about HR?

The legacy of the traditional personnel role and HR’s perceived lack of commercialism.

How do you wind down after a bad day in the office?

By going for a run. It can be very relaxing once you get past the pain barrier.

What is the strangest situation you have been in at work?

Having to answer these questions – it’s not what I normally do.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Tenacious, approachable and (hopefully) fun.

What was your lucky break?

My first permanent job after graduating was with Aldi, the discount food retailer, on its graduate training programme. I was there for five years and the principles and commercial awareness I learned then have never left me.

What do you regret about your career?

Of course, with hindsight, there are some things I would have done differently. There is no point in having regrets, but you can learn from your mistakes. Perhaps I could have moved into HR earlier, but then again I really benefited from my commercial experience.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

As long as it didn’t involve me cooking, I would love to have a dinner party with US president Barack Obama, polymath Stephen Fry, and actors Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger.

Tell us something about yourself that no-one else knows.

There isn’t anything that someone doesn’t know – there is always somebody who can spill the beans.

Sum up your philosophy on life in one sentence.

Be the best you can be, and the rewards will come.

CV



  • Feb 2008-present, HR director, Cabot Financial (consumer debt purchase)
  • 2003-2009, Various interim assignments including:HR, BAE Systems, e-Capability Division (weapons, security and aerospace)HR director, Lloyds TSB Consumer BankingHR and operations director, Sevenoaks Sound and Vision (retail)Lead project manager, Home Retail Group
  • 2001-2003, HR director, Austin Reed Group (retail)
  • 1999-2001, HR, Kingfisher Group/Superdrug (retail)

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
Accused entitled to legal representation at internal hearing
next post
VAT rise on temps – what it means

You may also like

Movers and shakers April 2022: Santander UK appoints...

22 Apr 2022

Time to kill off the HR business partner?...

8 Apr 2022

HR careers survey: three in four confident about...

30 Mar 2022

Movers and shakers March 2022: Appointments at Domino’s,...

14 Mar 2022

Movers and shakers February 2022: HR appointments at...

21 Feb 2022

HR chiefs report acute candidate shortage

10 Feb 2022

HR and recruitment roles shine in ‘best jobs’...

2 Feb 2022

Movers and shakers: top HR appointments for Accenture...

28 Jan 2022

Unilever announces new HR lead as part of...

26 Jan 2022

Baroness McGregor-Smith becomes CIPD president

25 Jan 2022
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+