I am an employee relations specialist with over 30 years experience, both as a union official and a leader of ER teams in large, complex organisations. I have worked for NATS, GSK, EDF Energy, GMB trade union and PA Consulting and have acted as a consultant for British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Jersey Electricity, Wightlink, QinetiQ, Network Rail, Universities and the TUC.I began my career in a trade union. I have been a researcher and writer on employment issues, including for pay review bodies. I have led HR and ER and Engagement teams in large, unionised organisations, designing and leading several employee relations programmes which have positively impacted the employee relations climate, reduced risk and disruption to the business. I have also taught HRM/ER/reward at the University of Brighton.Today I run Make Work Better Ltd - an innovative consultancy helping organisations to develop sustainable, modern, trusted employee relations. I support organisations to develop an ER strategy, rebuild relationships after conflict or dispute, review and modernise collective agreements, improve effectiveness of information and consultation arrangements, build capability of union/employee reps, managers and HR and design ways of measuring the effectiveness of employee relations. I run an ER network for senior leaders in the UK, set up in 2021. We share best practice, build capability in employee and industrial relations and are joined by a range of speakers from the world of ER/IR such as union general secretaries, employer bodies, think-tanks and academics. In 2022, I jointly designed and launched an ER and Engagement Development Programme - the first of its kind in the UK - for organisations that want to build positive ER/IR environments. Some of the UK’s biggest brands are putting their teams through the programme. I believe its worth investing, top to bottom, in great employee relations. This means an investment in leadership, management and union/employee representative capability, a focus on conflict resolution and problem solving, support to the HR team and a real commitment to diversity and inclusion and employee networks. I work comfortably with all organisational levels including Executive and Board level. I work with credibility, integrity, enthusiasm, curiosity and energy, guided by positive values of inclusion and diversity. I am a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, hold a post-graduate diploma in the psychology of organisational development and change and am an OCN accredited advanced mediator.