Lara Lester Email & Phone Number

Slough, Gb

Reading

Reporting to the Leader, People & Culture in Sydney and a dotted line to the MD in the UK, I am responsible for providing HR support to the 40 employees in the UK. I am part of and work closely with the UK General Management team ensuring that we work to best practice in HR issues. As part of this remint I have implemented the following: • Recently relocated the UK office from Maidenhead to our new offices in Reading. This was a year long project that involved sourcing new offices, survey for employees, working closely with an office design team, getting feedback from the Office Working Party to ensure that the UK office is “The Best Place to Work” for the UK office.• Half-yearly Engagement Survey for the UK and from the feedback have implemented a communications strategy, career development plan and a revised on boarding process.• Established working relationships with recruiters so they understand the Objective culture and using recruitment tools such as Linked In Learning to recruit the bests candidates for Objective.• Introduced an induction programme for the UK.• Responsible for overseeing the annual salary review process to ensure it came in on time and on budget.• Rolled out and trained staff and managers on an automated Performance Review Process• Responsible for the Personal Development Plan process, including “Emerging Leaders” and Lunch “n” Learn sessions.• Review of current benefits programme, to ensure that the benefits are in line with market and to ensure that we are getting best value for money. • Revised and reviewed the current Objective policies and Contract of Employment.• Implemented and rolled out the new values and continually ensure they are embedded in the organisation.• Responsible for ISO9001 compliance for Objective UK.

• Wrote and introduced Flexible Working policy to meet the changes in the law and to ensure that O2 had an attractive benefit in terms of their flexible working program.• Reviewed and updated O2’s HR policies, including the disciplinary, grievance and sickness policy. This involved working with and getting agreement from the Union, Employee Council and the HR Director and his direct reports before rolling out across O2.• Reviewed and updated O2’s redundancy policy to ensure it was fair and in accordance with current legal requirements. Once agreed by the HR Director and Unions it was rolled out for line HR to implement.

O2 is one of the largest mobile phone company within the UK. Whilst I was employed at O2, the company went through significant changes in terms of their structures. Reporting to the Head of Human Resources for Change Policy, I implemented the following:Wrote and introduced Flexible Working policy to meet the changes in the law and to ensure that O2 had an attractive benefit in terms of their flexible working program.Reviewed and updated O2's HR policies, including the disciplinary, grievance and sickness policy. This involved working with and getting agreement from the Union, Employee Council and the HR Director and his direct reports before rolling out across O2.Reviewed and updated O2's redundancy policy to ensure it was fair and in accordance with current legal requirements. Once agreed by the HR Director and Unions it was rolled out for line HR to implement.

Reporting to the UK HR Director and dotted line into the Customer Operations Director, I was responsible for providing a HR Business Partner Service to the Customer Operations Department, consisting of 700 staff over 2 sites. I had a team team of three people reporting into me. As part of my role I worked closely with the Customer Operations Director and his management team to ensure that we attracted and maintained employees by working on the following HR initiatives:Recruited 70 technical personnel into the business in a fiscal year. This included partnering recruitment agencies, and overseas recruiting, Implemented a reward and recognition scheme into Customer Operations. Re-organised Customer Operations, which included job design, review of processes and implementation of the new structure to management and employees.Harmonised terms and conditions for the Network Management Centre to ensure that job grading was correct and terms and conditions were harmonised. Following a downturn in business, Energis underwent a redundancy programme. For Customer Operations this meant managing a redundancy programme for 200 personnel. Working with the Customer Operations Director and his line managers, I identified areas and employees who were to be made redundant, communicating, rolling out letters, information and working with 3rd party outplacement consultants to ensure that the programme was done within legal frameworks and in a timely, effective manner.Worked on and implemented a Culture change programme. I initially helped the working party work on this programme, then once complete, I rolled it out to Customer Operations, which included presenting and team building exercises.Worked with a company to transfer a team of Energis engineers to them.

Cadence Design Systems is a leading EDA Design Services Software Company.Reporting to the European HR Director, I was responsible for providing a HR Consultancy Service to the UK, Nordic and Israel regions. As well as the day to day HR service that I needed to provide to my client group, I implemented the following:Provided advice and guidance to V.P.'s, managers, supervisors and employees on a wide range of HR issues, such as maternity, sickness and absence and managing disciplinary and grievances. Updated and implemented the Employee Handbook to all of the UK, which included new HR policies and proceduresTransitioned Order Management Department from Bracknell to Dublin Involved in team building exercises

Reporting to the U.K. HR Manager, I was responsible for recruitment, compensation & benefits, employee development, and employee relations for our Non-Sales and Research and Development departments, which comprised of 120 employees at two sites.Duties included:Site HR Consultant for Novell's Research & Design CentreRecruitment of finance, IS&T, marketing and technical staff from supervisory to non-management level. This involved producing job specifications, briefing agencies and interviewing candidates, within budget guideline.Successfully project managed a site closure of 50 employeesInitiated, developed and managed student industrial placement programme in the UK.Initiated and established a network group to share sales and marketing salary and job levelsDeveloped, organised and participated in Orientation programmes.Ensured that all performance management and appraisal programmes and accurately completed.Participated in local external compensation and benefits surveys.Advised managers on salary planning, promotions and transfers.Advised and managed expatriate transfers.Managing the personnel database and headcount reporting systems.