Carole O'Neil

I stumbled across a career in HR after completing a law degree and have never looked back. I started in learning and development, which led me to a master’s degree in training. I continued to broaden my expertise, becoming a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and, more recently, a Chartered Director. I enjoy the mix of business- and people-related issues that my role presents, and the fact that no two days are the same.

I love working as part of a joined-up global business and I’ve been lucky enough to spend time in different offices. It’s important for HR leaders to understand business issues across the organisation, so the chance to build meaningful relationships and ‘get under the bonnet’ of the business has been invaluable.

The growth of the business has created both challenges and opportunities for the HR team. We’ve developed significantly as a function in the last 10 years, moving from a transactional, ‘business support’ function to becoming strategic partners, working closely with the business to support the delivery of services to our clients, through the recruitment and retention of great people.