CV

Interim CV

Ad van der Rest BA Chartered FCIPD MIIM MIMA

Interim Human Resources Director, Senior HRBP & HR Consultant

Senior HR Generalist ● Employee Relations ● Restructure M&A ● Performance & Talent

HR Expertise:

Senior HR Generalist, addressing HR crises, HR stewardship and HR gap assignments. A commercially focused and practical HR ‘fixer’ stabilising HR functions and issues, designing & implementing good HR practice and planning & hiring a long-term ‘permanent HR solution. Recent generalist successes at SAP, Affinion International, SunGard and Misys.
Employee Relations specialist, resolving redundancy, tribunal claims, grievances, works council and sickness/absence issues. Strong interpersonal skills allow for meaningful and respectful negotiation and resolution with all parties. Service offered Interim and by ad-hoc Consultancy. Recent ER successes at Orange Business Services, SAP, Affinion International and SunGard.
Specialist in restructure, mergers and acquisition, supporting transition, acquisition, merger, restructure, upsizing and downsizing projects. Handling acquisitions / restructures & TUPE between 500 and a handful in size, from due diligence stage through to implementation & mop up. Recent restructure successes at SAP/Business Objects and particularly SunGard.
Specialist in performance and talent management, from performance management vendor selection and implementation to succession planning, employee engagement and talent management. Focused on elegant, straight-forward and commercially effective processes. Recent performance & talent successes at Arrow Communications, SAP and SunGard.

Sector expertise:

IT – SAP / Business Objects, Solarsoft, SunGard, Misys (UK, Europe, US & Asia Pacific.
Telecoms – Orange Business Services, Arrow Communications (UK & Europe).
Financial Services – Affinion International & Sitel Corporation (UK & US).
Retail & Leisure – Woolworths, Signet Group, MicroWarehouse & Ladbrokes (UK).

Approach and style:

Commercial – focused on competent & elegant delivery of the practical objectives in hand.
Straight-forward – clear and honest communicator to clarify goals and engage performance.
Confident – enthusiastic and motivating style, persistent and energetic in approach.
Collaborative – works with managers & teams to add value which remains post-assignment.

Interim Management ‘Value Proposition’:

Return On Investment – providing HR solutions that clearly add value or mitigate risk.
Speed – delivering work ‘at a pace’ for as long, and no longer, than is required.
Expertise – competent and seasoned knowledge and experience, from ‘day one’.
Objectivity – providing a clear perspective, without ‘politics’ or threat to incumbents.
Accountability – ongoing payment by ‘day-rate’ is contingent on satisfactory delivery.
Effectiveness – the ‘Interim approach’ allows value to be added in often difficult situations.
Commitment – a ‘Career Interim’ undertaking agreed assignments from start to finish.

Interim Assignment History

Interim HR Director, Arrow Communications 10/2009 – 11/2009

Telecoms reseller (50 UK employees): supporting the CEO
Conducted Performance Management (360) Appraisal software vendor selection process.
Successfully planned implantation & training of 360 Performance Management process.

Interim HR Director & Consultant, Orange Business Services 04/2008 – 11/2009

Business communications business, part of France Telecom: remote support to HR & the MD
Ad hoc employee relations case management, dispute resolution and employment law.
100% successful case resolution and HR Consultancy to HR, Senior Managers and the MD.

Interim HR Director & Consultant, Solarsoft Business Systems 03/2009 – 10/2009

Enterprise Solutions IT business (500 UK employees): remote support to the FD
Ad hoc employee relations case management & support, (redundancy & tribunal support)

Interim Senior HR Business Partner, SAP UK 06/2008 – 07/2009

Global Software business (1,200 UK, 48,500 Global employees).
Provided Senior HRBP stability and HR project implementation at a time when the SAP HR team was almost entirely replaced. Directly supported half of SAP Business Objects.
Coached Senior and Line Managers in a range of HR and management disciplines. Maintained a close commercial relationship with Business Unit leaders as a trusted advisor.
Performance management ‘concern’ cases were 100% resolved in supported Business Units.
Successfully supported the UK acquisition of Business Objects into SAP (450 people).
Project-managed the successful acquisition of one small software business and a TUPE out.
Primary appeal facilitator for cases & ET claims arising from significant redundancy activities.
Facilitated the Business Objects Employee Consultative Forum for SAP Business Objects.
Successfully project managed ‘benefits re-brokering’ to identify joint providers for SAP.
Broad HR expertise applied ranging from Talent Management to Employee Relations cases.
Successfully retained beyond official ‘end-point’ to finesse to a close ‘open’ Tribunal claims.
Initial 3 month assignment extended to 12 months.

Interim UK HR Director, Affinion International Ltd 03/2007 – 01/2008

Affinity Marketing organisation (US based) (550 UK, 1000 EU employees).
Stabilised the UK HR function, previously without a lead UK HR role. Addressed ‘politically charged’ recent HR history. Prepared the way to merge the HR structure from 2 separate HR sites to 1 UK function.
Re-hired entire HR team in Head Office including a permanent HR Director.
Reduced unbudgeted ‘exit costs’ from £200k p.a. to zero. Worked with management to promptly address performance issues. Handled issues professionally within a US culture.
Hired critical gaps in Client Management (9/16 to 2/25 vacancies). Halved open headcount.
Initiated management development programmes (zero in the prior year).
Initial 3 month assignment extended to 10 months.

Permanent Career History:

European HR Manager, SunGard Financial Systems 10/2001 – 01/2007

Successfully managed HR provision to 22 EMEA Business Units, at SunGard Europe for 5 years, managing HR Advisors, Payroll Specialists & Administrators (team of 8), and servicing 1,000 EMEA-based IT staff. Countries supported were Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and UK. Remote support given to Asia/Pacific, South Africa and US.
Maintained close business relationships with Business Unit Presidents and senior managers. Acted as a trusted advisor to these individuals, supporting their commercial and HR decisions.
Integrated acquisitions from due diligence stage, to employee and benefit harmonisation. Successfully managed 6 acquisitions (both TUPE and Stock deals) from 300 to 20 employees.
Terminated many dozens of people up to Director level. Carried out professional termination processes including sickness, redundancy, poor performance, probation & gross misconduct.
Handled and responded to legal action, including unfair dismissal, sex and disability discrimination, and pay & bonus claims, including appeal processes up to tribunal.
Successfully managed emergency implementation (3 months from scratch) of a new HRIS System at SunGard when Payroll System provider gave notice of software failure.
Analytical skills exemplified by the provision of HR reporting, metrics, compensation and benefits data to the business, both self-generated and sourced via HR team members. HRIS familiar.
Successfully implemented new Online Performance Management process for 2005 and 2006 Performance Reviews in SunGard Europe to 2,000 employees.
Managed and implemented training & development portfolio of management skills.

UK HR Manager, Misys International Banking 05/1999 – 09/2001

Intranet Web Designer (Contract), Nortel Networks 02/1999 – 04/1999

Training Manager, SITEL Corporation 09/1997 – 01/1999

Training and Safety Manager, MicroWarehouse 01/1996 – 08/1997

Regional HR Manager, Ladbrokes 11/1994 – 10/1995

Personnel & Training Officer, Signet Group 05/1990 – 10/1994

Personnel & Training Officer, Woolworths 10/1986 – 02/1990

Professional Development

2009 Prince2 Project Management Certified Practitioner (Prince2 Candidate Register)
2009 Member and Director: Institute of Interim Management (MIIM)
2009 Member Professional Contractors’ Group (PCG) & Interim Management Assoc. Inst (MIMA)
2008 Chartered Fellow CIPD (FCIPD) (Graduated, Thames Valley University, 1997)
1999 NLP Practitioner, Centre NLP, Bandler certified
1986 BA Degree in Philosophy, Sheffield University