reed career profiles ebook

Viewpoints

CAREER PROFILES:

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Insight into individual success and personal prosperity

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Contents

Table of contents:

03. Introduction

Education

05. From the classroom to the boardroom Dragon’s Den’s Piers Linney on his ‘school daze’

09. Inspiring change Finding solutions with Headteacher Anne Rutherford

Scientific

13. A fine life Nigel Parkinson from Fine Organics discusses the daily demands of working in science

17. Because she’s worth it Advice and insight from L’Oreal’s Scientific Director Katriona Methven


21. Flying high Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes of Cancer Research UK shares her secrets

to scientific success

HR & Recruitment

25. A day in the life of HR Natalie Cheesley, HRBP at LV=, gives her insight into what it’s like to work in HR

29. The challenge of leadership in a global marketplace A look at the difficulties involved with running a global business, with

Sally O’Neill at LEWIS PR



With our career profiles eBook, we look to answer some of these questions, by asking a wide range of prosperous and high profile professionals about their varied lines of work and career paths.

With contributions from the sciences, financial, HR and education worlds, the success stories are varied and valuable. Even though their anecdotes and advice may differ, they all provide a wealth of insight and inspiration. These unique and often surprising revelations can benefit any individual looking to develop and improve their own career and situation. Regardless of your chosen occupation or specific industry, there will be some helpful recommendations and insight found within, which we hope you will enjoy.

Ever wondered about the roles and responsibilities of certain professionals or particular individuals? Why did they choose that career? What skills or attributes are required to succeed and how do they overcome industry-based challenges?


Viewpoints Introduction p03


“Some didn’t do that well at school but still managed to make it to the top, while others always knew what they wanted to do and never strayed far from their ingrained calling.”

Viewpoints Introduction p04



From the classroom to the boardroom

Piers Linney■ Entrepreneur and qualified solicitor

■ Current Co-CEO of Outsourcery

■ Star of the BBC’s ‘Dragon’s Den’


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“During my ‘skool daze’, I knew how much I had to do to get on, but didn’t do more than that; I did enough just to get by and the rest of the time I was enjoying myself”

Viewpoints From the classroom to the boardroom - my ‘skool daze’

Piers Linney is now a familiar face on our television screens as one of the intimidating investors on Dragons’ Den, but he wasn’t always destined for success. At a young age, he failed the 11 plus exam, which meant missing out on a place at his local grammar school. He bounced back from this disappointment and went on to do very well academically at a comprehensive school in the small Lancashire mill town, where he grew up. But what was school life like for Piers? And what is he working on now?


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‘Skool daze’

“I was regarded as a bright pupil, but didn’t learn how to do verbal reasoning and so failed my 11 plus exam, in primary school. My brother, who is 18 months younger than me, passed the 11 plus and went to Bacup & Rawtenstall Grammar School. I went to a comprehensive school, Fearns High School in Bacup, Lancashire – now Fearns Community Sports College – for five years, from 1982 to 1987. “Because I was quite interested in learning and quite bright, I was in the top set for everything and got the support I needed from teachers,” reveals Piers.

“That said, during my ‘skool daze’, I knew how much I had to do to get on, but didn’t do more than that; I did enough just to get by and the rest of the time I was enjoying myself, usually riding my BMX. But for my A levels – economics, history and maths – which I did at Burnley College, I realised doing enough to get by wasn’t good enough and that if I wanted to go to university, then I had to knuckle down.

“I failed A level maths, but got a B in economics and an A in history. I took a year out and did A level law in the evening. I got an A in this subject and went to the University of Manchester to do accounting and law.”




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Workinsight.org for teens

Most recently Piers launched workinsight.org, a new scheme that will give young people aged 14-19 multiple opportunities through their school or college, to spend a half or full day in a company, to find out about an occupation they are interested in and engage with various people already carrying out the role.

Workinsight.org is unique in that all an employer will know about a young person is their age, location and interests. Once an employer selects a young person they are then provided with his or her picture.

“Access to work place experience is often influenced by socio-economic background, historic academic record, race, gender, disability, sexuality, religion or just questionable fashion

sense,” notes Piers. “By removing the traditional selection process, every young person will be on a completely level playing field when it comes to accessing the world of work.”

Workinsight.org has the backing of Esther McVey, the MP and Minister of State for Employment and Microsoft UK - who have agreed to give young people an opportunity to gain an insight into the varied opportunities they offer, from HR to marketing.“Every young person will be on a

completely level playing field whenit comes to accessing work”



Inspiring changeAnne Rutherford■ Executive Headteacher at Filton Avenue

Infant and Junior School

■ Voted Inspirational Manager of the Year 2014 by the Institute of Education


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“Anne’s sights as headteacher are firmly set on continuous improvement with a particular focus on maths and more creative ways of learning”

Viewpoints Inspiring change

Over the last decade, Executive Headteacher Anne Rutherford has steered her way through a sea change at Filton Avenue Infant and Junior School on the outskirts of Bristol. As a result, she was voted Inspirational Manager of the Year 2014 by the Institute of Education. During her time at the school, Anne has dealt with numerous challenges relating to a changing catchment demographic and children that aren’t prepared for learning. But as she explains, finding solutions to these problems is all in a day’s work.

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Adapting to the times

Anne says that the character of the school has had to adapt to a changing demographic: “Ten years ago, there were only 187 children and it was a falling roll. Today the school has grown to 330 children of which 40% are white British. Consequently, we’ve got challenges relating to people who don’t speak English as a first language as well as a high level of deprivation.”

“One of the biggest challenges we are faced with these days is the number of children who come to school who have poor listening and speaking skills. So they’re not actually ready to learn.

“So we have to do an awful lot of work in the Reception classes on getting children to be able to speak coherently. Actually, our main challenge here is getting native English people to speak and be able to sit and listen for a sustained period of time.”

Specialist programmes

A major part of the school’s response to these issues has been its Reading Recovery programme, which employs two full-time specialist teachers.


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“Reading Recovery has shown time and again that it is a powerful programme that not just supports children who struggle with reading but enables the school to break down barriers to learning every day through the extended influence of the programme,” Anne reveals.

Another area she insists upon is recruiting the highest calibre of staff possible, but what do these applicants need in order to attract Anne’s interest and attention?

“They obviously need to be a good teacher. They need to be the sort of people who are going to be flexible and adaptable. They also need to be willing to take risks sometimes. This is often the difference between a good school and a really good school.” Looking ahead

In the future, Anne’s sights as headteacher are firmly set on continuous improvement with a particular focus on maths and more creative ways of learning through various initiatives.


Anne says: “We have got people who have initiative, want to shine, and want to learn new things, but at the same time maintain high standards as they find out if doing things differently work better.”

“You can’t stand still. If you stand still you are effectively moving backwards because everyone else is moving on.”

Viewpoints Inspiring change p12



A fine lifeNigel Parkinson■ Technical Director at Fine Organics

■ Nearly 20 years in the industry


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“People live in a more visually crowded environment now, so the sciences need to compete in a similar way.”


It could be said that Nigel Parkinson was always destined to pursue a scientific career. In school, the ‘bangs and pops’ of science excited him, while a degree and PhD in chemistry certainly helped shape his future profession. In 2011, Nigel realised his ‘dream job’ after being asked to set up a new business unit at chemicals company Fine Industries.

Now Technical Director at Fine Organics, what are some of the daily demands Nigel encounters? How did he make his mark?

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Viewpoints A fine life


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What does your job entail?

As part of my dual role, I’m responsible for the direction of the quality assurance (QA), quality control (QC) and research and development (R&D) functions of Fine Organics, ensuring quality- based regulatory and legal compliance for the site, and that all our new products and processes are managed through our technical resources to operate at the expected commercial targets. How would you describe a typical day?

The focus is always around production, so it starts with the morning production meeting, which draws the key departmental managers together. After that, my day can vary greatly, but typically would involve updates of new process introductions and their progress within the R&D function; reviewing outgoing commercial bids; taking part in customer meetings; reviewing and monitoring processes at a financial level to identify improvement opportunities and, importantly, taking the time to plan at a strategic level for the business.

Why do you enjoy your job?

I really enjoy seeing the first kilos of product coming out of the plant, as it’s the culmination of a lot of effort from a huge number of people to get to that point. Being put in challenging positions also motivates me; the re-education of moving from a highly technical to a commercial role was a daunting prospect at the time, but I learned well and had the support and camaraderie of a terrific group of people. How can we encourage people into science?

For me, it is a combination of enthusiastic teachers to inspire, nurture, and make what can be quite dry subjects come alive, together with bringing the practical side back. It was the ‘shock and awe’ side of chemistry that really got me hooked, and I think this is true for most people. Just think of bonfire night for chemistry in action!

Nigel’s nugget of advice

Don’t feel you have to spend years at university. A good grounding in maths, English and an appreciation of science can get you started.


Nigel says: “I’ve always had an interest in science and, more specifically, chemistry, as far back as secondary school and my first chemistry set.”

“It was always the bangs and pops that excited me and made the subject come alive, though this is the last thing I want to see or have happen now!”

Viewpoints A fine life p16



Because she’s worth itKatriona Methven■ Scientific Director for L’Oreal UK & Ireland

■ Over 15 years industry experience

■ One of the Royal College of Chemistry’s ‘175 Faces of Chemistry’


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“If someone says you can’t do something, I like finding a solution.”

Viewpoints Because she’s worth it

Cosmetics such as shampoo and eyeliner are used everyday across the world but how often does one think about how these items are made? At L’Oréal, a varied and complex array of sciences are required for the research, development and production of these products. Katriona Methven is responsible for this for in her role as UK Scientific Director, but why did she pursue this kind of career? What happens during a typical day and how does the industry work with women?

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Viewpoints Understanding the traits and temperaments of CEOs

What inspired you to pursue a career in science?

When I was about eight, my parents gave me a chemistry set for Christmas. I just loved it. I didn’t read the instructions, but set about mixing things together and getting exciting, random results. I love that about science – you can’t always predict the outcome.

Can you describe a typical day?

I look after two distinct teams: the science team and the consumer advisory team. I help the scientists support the claims being made on a product, conducting instrumental tests in the lab and working with marketing teams on consumer insight. I might do some work with our Knowledge Transfer Partners and advise

on protocol for our leading brands. On the other side, I manage 16 advisers who liaise with the consumers who contact us about their experience of our products.

What do you enjoy most?

I get quite a big buzz out of the semi-legal part of it. If someone says you can’t do something, I like finding a solution. I also love the diversity of my role and working in an industry that helps people feel happy and confident in themselves.

What is For Women In Science?

L’Oréal invests a lot of time and energy in promoting female scientists through its For Women In Science fellowships. It’s a great opportunity to inspire and engage with the next generation.


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I’m on the judging panel for the awards, which received around 300 entries this year. These applicants will eventually be whittled down to just four, who will each receive a £15,000 bursary. It will be tough, because the calibre is very high. It’s encouraging to see so many talented young female scientists out there. As both a mother and a scientist, this really excites me.

What are your next steps?

I’d like to encourage more academic partnerships, as these have worked really well so far, so I’m on the hunt for interesting projects. I’d also like to increase the communication between our science team and the wider business.


Katriona’s career advice

Viewpoints Because she’s worth it p20

Make sure you know the different options available to you - scientists don’t always work in white coats!

Seek out role models and people who can inspire you - and persevere.

Don’t give up at the first hurdle.

Keep your mission in mind and learn from your experiences.

Finally, experiment. My children will both receive chemistry sets for Christmas this year!



Flying highDr Rita Sousa-Nunes■ Research specialist, specialising in

brain cancer

■ Cancer Research UK career development fellow and principal Investigator at King’s College

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“I would like to be remembered as a kind-hearted idealist who drank from many fountains”

Viewpoints Flying high

An unconventional yet truly inspiring scientist, Dr Rita Sousa-Nunes studies fruit fly cells to help understand tumour behaviour in her capacity as Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellow at King’s College London. At work, Dr Sousa-Nunes and her team work to improve the understanding of the regulation of neural proliferation and how cancer develops. We asked how she got here and what should be done to encourage more women into science...

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Viewpoints Flying high


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How did your career develop?

A passion for nature and understanding its workings led me to want to become a scientist. After a degree in biochemistry in Lisbon, I came to London for a PhD in developmental biology, followed by post-doctoral work (in London and Singapore), until very recently I started to lead my own research group at King’s College London, investigating neural stem cells. What is your typical day like?

I might attend a seminar or head a lab meeting. I will then spend some time on an experiment (usually fly work) or on reading and writing. I am aware that we never know where inspiration might come from and I like to keep my mind open and broad; it could also consist of preparing an application for funding, which I usually start weeks in advance. Often I will also meet with a lab member for a detailed discussion about their work. How do you inspire your team?

My style is to empower and to be direct about the unique combination of strengths and challenges I identify to be

celebrated or overcome in each individual. I will not hold back on praise where I feel it is due, and I will also be blunt about what I see as needing progress; followed by proposing strategies to do so. I take great satisfaction from then recognising that progress and seeing it achieved with pleasure.

I am devoted to creating an imaginative, productive and happy team that is a strong reference in their field. How would you encourage more young women to pursue a career in the sciences?

I think the single most important thing I can do is to be a role model. Role models show us what is possible in some ineffable way, that is more than what we can breakdown into parts. But, attempting to break it down in some way, I have spent time talking to young girls who are considering a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects. How would you like to be remembered?

As a kind-hearted idealist who drank from many fountains; curious and unconformist, who will live on through the many whom she touched, as well as through her work.


Rita says: “ I hope we are recognised as a team of highly motivated individuals with an ethos of working hard and playing hard (sometimes at the same time!), that makes significant contributions and does so with enjoyment. A lot rests on being able to recruit team members with the desire and an appropriate profile.

Viewpoints Flying high p24



A day in the life of HRNatalie Cheesley■ Experienced HR and Payroll Manager at LV=

■ CIPD qualified in HR practice


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“Good communication skills are absolutely fundamental to being a good HR business partner.”

Viewpoints A day in the life of HR

Kicking off her career as a Recruitment Administrator, Natalie Cheesley soon progressed to HR officer before completing a Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) certificate in HR practice. After a year, she took on responsibility for the payroll function and became HR and Payroll Manager, quickly and efficiently working her way up the ladder. But why did she choose to pursue a career in HR in the first instance? What is it like being an HR business partner and how does she see the future playing out?

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What inspired you go into HR?

I initially became interested in a career in HR when I was working in a role managing a small team of people, and I really enjoyed the development and management of the team. When I found out a little more about what a career in HR entails, one of the areas that particularly attracted me was employment law and legislation that affects the workplace. I came to the conclusion that HR is key in helping good people managers become great people managers and this in turn helps drive business success.

Is there such thing as a typical day?

A typical day could be arriving in the morning to work with our leadership teams on strategic focus areas in their department, then dealing with a difficult people issue, to then working with another leadership team on the engagement of people in their area. And then I might meet with some of my HR colleagues to discuss a project we are working on.

What are the main challenges you meet and current HR issues you face?

The main challenge is probably the number of people at all different levels I deal with and adapting my style to one that suits

them, and being able to juggle all sorts of things at the same time. In a typical day I might be advising a senior manager on developing or managing their team and succession planning, to helping coach HR advisors.

What skills, qualities and behaviours do you think are most important in your current role?

Good communication skills are absolutely fundamental to being a good HR business partner. This bears out in many ways. For example, you need to be confident in dealing with difficult conversations, you need good judgement, and feel comfortable advising/challenging senior managers on a wide range of issues

What are your ambitions?

HR director one day maybe! However in the closer future I’m keen to progress to a more senior role in the business partnering space to take my career to the next level. For me it’s really important that my stakeholders have confidence in me and I am empowered and have the knowledge to give them good strategic advice on the HR issues that matter.


Natalie says: “I think having a good HR knowledge base, such as a CIPD qualification is really important, as well as a good sense of commerciality and understanding of the business. We have a great team at LV= and it’s really important you get on with your colleagues because you spend a lot of time with them at the end of the day. I also love working at a company that puts a lot of focus on its people and listening to their opinions, as that makes our job much more enjoyable.”



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The challenge of leadership in a global marketplace

Sally O’Neill

■ International VP at LEWIS PR

■ Expertise in running international campaigns

■ Her current clients include D-Link, Manhattan Associates, NEC Display Solutions, NTT DATA and Spectralink

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“...don’t forget to talk to people. Many technologies make it easy to resort to written communications, but don’t forget the art of conversation. You can get a lot out of a conversation, beyond what is said.”

Viewpoints The challenge of leadership in a global marketplace

In today’s world there aren’t many business borders anymore, which allows even the smallest organisation to become a global brand. However, this presents various challenges, especially when it comes to leading and managing multi-lingual teams. Here to address some of these issues is Sally O’Neill, who heads the dedicated international division at the global public relations and communications consultancy, LEWIS PR. She is responsible for managing and overseeing international campaigns and provides the communications strategy, ideas, messaging and client consultancy on the best PR approach for their brand.

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Viewpoints The challenge of leadership in a global marketplace p31

Describe your team...

The international division has eight people based in the UK, US, France, Germany and Hong Kong. My team runs global and multi-market PR campaigns for our clients, working with our teams on the ground across 25 offices covering 18 countries worldwide. How should global companies approach the management of multi-lingual teams?

Managing a multi-lingual team requires a greater appreciation of each team member’s background, cultural beliefs and expectations in the workplace. Some multi-lingual teams sit together, others are spread across multiple locations. This is why it’s important to be a good listener and communicator, and be willing and able to adapt your management style. Companies need to invest in managers with those skills, and give them the tools to do their job well.

What other ways can managers overcome the language barrier?

Language is an important method of communication but it doesn’t have to be verbal. Visuals in terms of pictures, graphics

and video are a great way to share updates or information. As the saying goes, a picture speaks a thousand words, and this is why we follow the ‘visual first’ rule when it comes to content. Keeping a message simple by using a visual to explain it means that it works across multiple languages and cultures easily.

Do you think managing multi-lingual teams is a challenge more managers will have to confront?

Yes, I definitely see an increase in multi-lingual teams, across many sectors. But managers shouldn’t see it as a challenge. It’s a rich source of knowledge, information and culture. It provides the opportunity for personal career development and a greater understanding of how people who speak another language see the world.

Even if you are unable to learn all the languages used in your teams, is it important to develop cultural awareness of each country represented by your team?

Yes, very. Understand the basics like time zone differences, languages used, times of day to call/not to call, national holidays. Be sympathetic to their local needs, and celebrate their key events.



Top Tips for Leading a Global Team

Be open-minded - Think internationally. Travel.

Read a variety of media - This will give you differentperspectives and an appreciation of political, economic, religious and current affairs.

Experience the world - Spend time in global companies/with friends from different countries/backgrounds.

Use technology - For communication, but adapt your style depending on whom you are dealing with.

Be patient and understanding – Not everyone willsee it your way. Appreciate that one size doesn’t fit all.

Viewpoints The challenge of leadership in a global marketplace p32


"Managers just need to adjust their approach - use simple vocabulary instead of confusing colloquial phrases, speak slowly and be patient, recognising that someone may not be speaking in their first language."


Find out more at reedglobal.com/viewpoints

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