Leading HR (PDF)

PAUL CHESWORTH has 23 years HR management experience within the commercial vehicles, defence and latterly telecoms sectors. He is currently HR Director, Vodafone Europe and Chairman of the Centre for Performance-led HR at Lancaster University Management School.

DAVID FAIRHURST is Senior Vice President& Chief People Officer (Northern Europe) for McDonald's Restaurants, having been European Director of Recruitment and Leadership Planning for SmithKline Beecham, and Corporate HR Director for Tesco. David joined McDonald's in May 2005 and has board-level responsibility for HR, Training, Education, Customer Services and Environment. He is a Fellow of Lancaster University Management School, and in 2007 was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Business Administration by Manchester Metropolitan University Business School where he is a Visiting Professor. In 2007 and 2008 he secured the No.1 position in Personnel Today's Top 40 HR Power Players list; and in June 2009 he was voted the UK's 'Most Influential Practitioner' by readers of HR Magazine for the second consecutive year.

SHERIEF HAMMADY is an Associate Director with Hay Group UK and is a member of the private sector consultancy leadership team. He has a PhD in organisational studies from the University of St Andrews.

MATT STRIPE is currently Assistant Vice President Human Resources for Nestlé SA, with responsibility for Human Resources and Global Talent Management for Nestlé 's Strategic Business Units, Sales and Marketing, Finance and Head office. Prior to this Matt was the HR Director for Nestlé Confectionery Division having previously held a number of Senior HR roles for BAE SYSTEMS and MBD.

HELEN SWEENEY is Group HR director at national building services provider, NG Bailey. Her responsibilities include developing and delivering a people focused strategy in support of the business, as well as overseeing all other HR activity. Helen has also held senior HR positions at Co-operative Financial Services,

'It is increasingly clear that people are indeed at the heart of corporate strategy and it is through the energy, innovation and engagement of employees that companies succeed. However, what is less clear is the role that the HR function can play in supporting and framing the people agenda. This very useful and informative book brings the debate about the role of the HR function bang up to date. Drawing from a wide range of cases and research insights the authors show clearly what it takes for the HR function to win. Filled with strategic imperatives, issues for reflection and ideas for implementation it shows what it takes for the profession to be indeed at the centre of corporate strategy. A must have on every HR professional's bookshelf.' - Professor Lynda Gratton, London Business School, author of 'Hot Spots'

'Leading HR begins with research based in successful organizations and builds a thought provoking new paradigm for thinking about the changing roles and responsibilities of HR.' - Professor Patrick M. Wright, William J. Conaty GE Professor of Strategic Human Resources, Cornell University

'Changing business needs demand new responses from human resources. Human resource leaders who want to succeed and want to help their organizations succeed as well should read Leading HR to understand both the new, technical challenges that business faces and how they need human resources to help them.' - Professor Peter Cappelli, Director, Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

'The last two years have served to strengthen the role of and need for, high calibre HR professionals. Leading HR provides real insight into how HR needs to respond to today's world. It asks important questions about our agenda, relationships and capabilities in the context of business change and moves to answer them in a thoughtful and practical way.' - Jackie Orme, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development