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
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD 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
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD 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 – Eric Gregory, personnel director, John Lewis Partnership

by Personnel Today 17 Sep 2007
by Personnel Today 17 Sep 2007

Where did you work before and what were your duties?

I was IT director at John Lewis, responsible for all IT development, support and innovation. I looked after a team of 250 IT partners.

What qualifications do you hold?

A BA and an MA in chemistry.

What are the duties in your new role?

To maintain and develop an environment for our partners to deliver sustained commercial success. I have a team of 70 at head office and report to the managing director (John Lewis).

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

To engage and motivate partners to consistently deliver high performance and to maintain a talent pipeline.

What is the essential tool in your job?

My team.

And the most over-rated?

E-mail. An essential tool but when used inappropriately it generates additional work.

What is the worst thing about HR?

That its significance can be misunderstood. It’s much more than just a ‘support’ function – it shapes responsibilities for the business as a whole.

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

Dressing up as a goth in a metal band at a Christmas lunch. Mind you, my managing director then was Gene Simmons of Kiss.

Who is your ultimate hero?

Richard Feynman.

What is the most annoying piece of management jargon?

Downsizing.

How do you fill your spare time?

With my sons – often playing and watching sport and rehearsing with their rock band.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Helpful, innovative and achievement-oriented.

What is your favourite web page?

Johnlewis.com, of course.

What song gets you on the dance floor?

Rock and Roll, by Led Zeppelin.

What is your worst habit?

Excessive caffeine and sugar intake.

What is the greatest risk you have ever taken?

Not moving home with the rest of my family at age 16, and living in a B&B instead.

What three items would you take to a desert island?

My laptop, a digital SLR camera and a full cocktail cabinet.

Who would play you in the film of your life and why?

Johnny Depp – he likes a challenge, and he obviously has the necessary looks.

Gregory’s CV

May 2007-present
Personnel director, John Lewis

Mar 2006-May 2007
Systems director, John Lewis

Sep 2002-Mar 2006
Systems director, Waitrose

May 1998-Sep 2002
Director of computer services, John Lewis

Feb 1997-May 1998
Head of corporate systems, John Lewis

Personnel Today
Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Quiz: do you have oomph?
next post
Whitehall HR failings over unfair dismissals cost £628,632 in 2006-07

You may also like

ESG for HR: Emma Burrows talks to Oven-Ready...

5 Aug 2022

Personnel Today Awards 2022 shortlist announced

26 Jul 2022

Movers and shakers June 2022: Lloyds, Indeed, Zoom...

24 Jun 2022

CIPD Festival of Work: ‘Use crises as catalysts...

15 Jun 2022

HR Director of the Year: Ruth Busby on...

31 May 2022

‘It’s International HR Day – wait, you didn’t...

20 May 2022

Squishy, flabby, foggy HR? Andrew Bartlow talks to...

20 May 2022

Movers and shakers May 2022: John Lewis and...

20 May 2022

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

22 Apr 2022

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

8 Apr 2022
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...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
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD 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+