MY CIPP
of the time, Andrew Chilton, regarding the reason I wanted the move, and he supported my review of the market and eventual move to CMG. The support and guidance provided by Andrew in my early career was invaluable. That is also the time when I first joined the British Payroll Manager’s Association and read about individuals such as Gordon Cresswell, Trevor Lakin, Pete Blackhurst and Chris Williams. Legends in the industry. CMG (now CGI) was a meritocracy and very clear that with hard work and skill, if you passed their internal management development programme, you could become a director of the business. Lots of individuals didn’t make the grade, but I remember the day I was told I’d passed the course and was made an associate director, and how fantastic that achievement felt. Do please ask me about the three days of tests you had to go through, I’d be more than happy to explain. I remember also receiving a bottle of champagne as the business reached 1,000 employees. The business now has many tens of thousands of employees. Gaining experience developing and building shared service centres in the North, across multiple industries, allowed me the opportunity to recruit some fantastic people to the industry. I’m incredibly proud to follow how their careers have gone from strength to strength. CMG also allowed the opportunity to work across other European countries, in delivering service models that were multi-country. This experience made my next move to Northgate Arinso (now Zellis) a very natural move, as the UK delivery model was then introducing off-shore services, in support of near and on-shore delivery. This is when Ken Pullar and I first worked together. Ken is another person who has been incredibly supportive to me throughout my career, and has helped guide me with decisions, and support the direction of my career for many years, for which I’m truly grateful. My career then moved from UK operations to global operations. This included time spent managing third party providers across the globe and working with the international product teams responsible for building integrated systems
There’s much more for us to do, which includes: l ensuring qualifications and training are the best they can be and continue to evolve with the business landscape l continuing to deliver the end point assessment capability for apprenticeships l ensuring HM Revenue and Customs and other bodies recognise the efforts and skills of those within the industry l working with other countries in the global setting of payroll. As more and more within the UK become responsible for multi-country delivery, I’m keen that we support them in their journey, as well as those who deliver within very specific pockets of the industry, such as marine and the air industries. With that in mind, I look forward to working closely with partners across the globe and supporting those broader initiatives. Although I’ve been in management now longer than operations, the feeling of delivering accurate, on time payroll results has never left me. Neither has the importance of ensuring an employee’s pay positively reflects their earnings. This is incredibly important to households, and it’s what lights a fire in me – to continue to serve and raise the profile of the industry. Education for school leavers (especially those joining the workforce) to understand payments and deductions and the broader understanding of financial management is also extremely important to me. This links in with how the CIPP can support our future generations. As for outside interests, I’m an England Rugby Union coach and a power boat captain. I’m married to Louise with three children, Gabrielle, Charlotte and Patrick. They’re my bedrock, so do allow me to wax lyrical about them when we meet. I was also once on security detail for Princess Diana... do ask me to elaborate, and I will say what I am allowed! n
to support the service offering to the multi- country client base. Working with so many teams in product development, operations, sales and third-party partners provided a wealth of experience to build from. Having spent a number of years in a global capacity, the opportunity then arose to work with Capita in the UK, which came along at just the right time for me. I first took up a role responsible for several National Health Service (NHS) Trusts, which provided additional learning, to understand the multiple terms and conditions of all who work within the NHS. I left Capita three years later as chief operating officer, having supported the development of the shared service centre network and all their people in the human resource division, to start my own consultancy. This was another step into new territory and a bucket list aspiration ticked off. Stepping away from the consultant work and clients I’d developed strong working relationships with hasn’t been easy. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many fantastic individuals within this industry – too many to name here, but all of whom have contributed to my development and rich tapestry of experiences, both in the domestic market and internationally. My CIPP journey Throughout this time, I had also been a non-executive director with the CIPP. I had a good insight into the industry, and I’ve seen how the organisation has developed, and strived to promote the payroll and pensions professions to be recognised alongside other Chartered bodies. Having been recruited to the role of CEO, I’m delighted to be here and look forward to continuing to promote the hard work of all who contribute to the success of the Institute. Working with the fantastic team here at the CIPP , the tutors, Chartered members and all who contribute to promoting and ensuring the industry is recognised for its contribution to business will be an honour. In recent years I have also worked as a ‘be the business’ mentor, to support the drive to improve productivity within the UK’s small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) businesses.
One further reflection would be, what’s my favourite payroll anthem? Well, as a Liverpool supporter, there’s only one payroll anthem for me, which hopefully sums up the comradery and support that we show each other “You’ll never walk alone!”
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 92 | July - August 2023
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