1 Why did you join Berkeley?

I joined Berkeley because I was looking for a role where I could have a genuine impact on both the employee experience and the wider business. After 10 years with my previous company, I was ready for a new challenge - somewhere I could bring what I’d learned, while also being stretched by a different environment, different people and a new stage of growth. What really appealed to me about Berkeley was the combination of ambition and personality. There’s a clear desire to grow and evolve, but also a strong sense that how we do that matters. For me, that’s where great HR can add real value: understanding the business, building trust with people and creating the conditions for high performance without losing what makes Berkeley distinctive. I was also excited by the opportunity to help shape things rather than simply inherit something fully formed. I like being close enough to the business to understand what people are experiencing day to day, while also thinking ahead about what we will need as we grow. Berkeley felt like a place where I could do both.

2 What’s been your biggest professional accomplishment?

My biggest professional accomplishment has probably been helping to shape and support an organisation through a decade of significant growth and change, while maintaining the trust of both the business and its people. Over that time, my role evolved enormously. I worked across everything from building people practices and supporting leaders to navigating complex employee relations, organisational change and, ultimately, the integration of the business into a much larger international group. What I’m proudest of isn’t one particular project or outcome, though; it’s having become someone people trusted to give them a thoughtful, balanced answer, particularly when situations were difficult or there wasn’t an obvious solution. I learned that strong HR is rarely about simply applying a policy or knowing the legislation. It’s about understanding the commercial reality, recognising the human impact and exercising good judgement between the two. Looking back, I’m proud of the processes and structures I helped build, but I’m probably most proud of the relationships and credibility I built alongside them. For me, that’s ultimately what allows HR to have real influence.

3 What are you passionate about in life?

Writing is a big part of who I am. I have a Master’s in Creative Writing and I’m fascinated by people, relationships and the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. I think that instinct to observe, question and understand people probably feeds into my work more than I realise. Like most people, I also love travel, particularly going somewhere unfamiliar and getting a glimpse of how other people live and experience the world. I’m a big believer in continuing to have firsts. New places, new experiences, new skills, new ideas. I never want to become someone who thinks they’ve seen it all or has stopped being surprised by things. And, at the less philosophical end of the spectrum, I’m extremely passionate about my tiny chihuahua Van, and most of my life choices revolve around making sure his every whim is catered to.