The winter 2024 roundup of movers-and-shakers includes important appointments at Lloyd’s of London and Nottingham Building Society.
Joanne Grigg is a YPO
YPO is one of the UK’s largest public sector purchasing organisations. Joanne Grigg has been appointed as its head for HR and people services. Grigg has over 35 years of experience in strategic and operations HR in the public sectors. She joins Wakefield’s organisation from West Yorkshire Combined Authority where she was head of HR for six years.
She has held senior positions at Kirklees Council, and previously led a team that provided a variety of HR services for schools.
Grigg will oversee YPO’s talent, development and business service teams as well as the Our People Strategy.
She said: “YPO has been an organization that I’ve used in various roles over many years. It is wonderful to join such an important, well-respected company.”
“I hope to bring a lot of experience from my roles in the public sectors and I am looking forward to putting this to good use and helping YPO continue to be a wonderful place to work.”
YPO, which is owned by 13 local governments, was founded in 1974 as a way to consolidate the purchasing spends of local authorities. YPO also has formal relationships with a total of 71 organisations – known as associate members authorities – across local government and wider public sector.
Nathan Adams, Lloyd’s
Nathan Adams has been appointed as the new Chief People Officer of Lloyd’s. This is the City of London’s marketplace for insurances and reinsurance.
Adams, who has over 20 years of experience in HR and transformation, will join Lloyd’s at the beginning of next year as a member of their executive committee and report to John Neal.
He comes from Aviva where he held several senior roles, including Chief People Officer at Aviva Investors, since joining the company in 2014. He held senior HR positions at Barclays and Arcadia Group before this.
Adams will replace Sara Gomez who is retiring at the end the year. Gomez was hired by Lloyd’s Insurance in July 2021. She became interim chief HR officer, a member of the executive committee and chief people officer at the end of December 2021.
Neal stated: “Nathan is a fantastic addition to our team, as we continue to promote an inclusive and high-performance culture throughout Lloyd’s. Sara has been a valuable contributor to the culture and people agenda at Lloyd’s over the last three and a quarter years. She was a valuable member of Lloyd’s Executive Committee and I wish the best for her as she enters a new exciting phase in her life that she had been planning since some time.”
Cristina de los Reyes Munoz, The Bloc
The Bloc, a health and medical marketing firm, has appointed Cristina de los Reyes Munoz as EU People Director. She will be responsible for The Bloc’s 120 European employees in Milan and Basel.
De los Reyes Munoz is expected to actively contribute to The Bloc’s strategic and organisational development plan. This will include strengthening the People function and focusing on the professional growth of employees and the promotion diversity.
De los Reyes Munoz, a psychology graduate from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Madrid, Spain has extensive experience in Human Resources, starting at Deloitte in her role as HR supervisor, to her latest experience as director of HR and head of people at Desigual and La Prairie.
Alessandro Seveso said Christina’s influence on The Bloc, a Milan-based organisation, “will be felt by our customers, who will have the opportunity to interact and collaborate in the market with professionals that are willing and motivated to deliver innovation and value”.
De los Reyes Munoz said: “I’ll bring my experience from around the world to the agency, to help grow the organisation, and to develop the talent of its employees.”
Lisa Winnard, Nottingham Building Society
Lisa Winnard was appointed Chief People Officer on the Executive Committee of Nottingham Building Society. Lisa Winnard’s contribution to the company since her arrival in 2023 as HR director, and most recently as chief people officer is recognized by this appointment.
Winnard has more than 20 years of experience. She previously worked for JLA Group and Sesame Bankhall Group. Nottingham Building Society states that she has “a proven record of driving sustainability success through her transformation experience and commitment to trust relationships”.
Winnard’s role on the executive committee, it said, strengthens their commitment to being a supportive and inclusive workplace where members of the team feel valued.
Winnard stated: “This year, we have made significant progress in creating a supportive, inclusive workplace and I am eager to continue this momentum.” We remain focused on nurturing talent, driving change and making sure our business is one where everyone can flourish.
Meera Nair is a Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust employee
The Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has appointed Meera Nir as its new chief human resources officer and member of its board.
Nair is the chief people officer of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and South East London Integrated Care System.
She has over 20 years experience in the NHS across acute, mental and community health. Nair held senior leadership positions in several NHS organisations. Prior to her current position, she was the director of workforce and improvement at Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, located in south-east London.
Nair said, “I am so impressed by the ambitious work being delivered by teams at MFT and I feel honoured to be able to participate.”
Mark Cubbon added that Meera would be joining us at an important time, as we move forward with our MFT strategy to improve the health and life quality of our diverse communities. I am looking forward to her joining our team.”
Charlotte Eaton, Arm
Charlotte Eaton, the new Chief People Officer at Arm, a semi-conductor and software company, has been appointed with immediate effect.
Eaton, who will report to Arm Chief Executive Officer Rene Haas in a planned succession, will replace current chief people officer Kirsty Gil as the global head of Arm’s people organisation. Gill will continue to serve as an advisor and help with the transition until she retires.
Eaton rejoins Arm after serving as vice president of personnel, where she supported the teams in its Intellectual Property Group from 2017 to 2020.
She was most recently the chief people officer of energy supplier Ovo. Her responsibilities included oversight of all people agenda aspects, including operations, partnering and leadership, reward and engagement as well as leading customer experience and workplace team. She held HR leadership positions at The Heinz Company, and Barclays.
Jo McConnell is Herbert Smith Freehills
Jo McConnell, global chief people officer at Herbert Smith Freehills, has been appointed to lead its people and culture strategies.
McConnell, who will take over the role of chief people officer Helen Anthony at the end the year after her retirement, will begin in the position in January.
McConnell brings more than 30 years of experience across global and regional industries including professional services, energy and financial services. She joins Accenture from where she was the leader of its CEO transformation practice in growth markets.
McConnell stated: “I join this firm at a moment when it is increasing its investment in professional development, attracting top talent and embracing the rapid technological changes and AI. I am looking forward to working with an incredibly talented team of HR professionals in our global network.
Justin D’Agostino is the global CEO of Herbert Smith Freehills. He said: “Jo’s role will be to lead our people and cultural strategy globally. She will bring insights and diverse perspectives, coming from offices in over 20 countries. Jo will also support our clients’ key growth areas, such as energy transition, AI and technology, and private capital.
McConnell, he said, had a wealth of experience in digital transformation and organisational culture, high-performance cultures, as well C-suite leader development.
Tara Yip, Swissquote
Swissquote, a banking group, has named Tara Yip its first chief human resources officer. This role will be a part of the executive management team.
Yip will assume the position at 1 January 2025. Swissquote said the role was part of their commitment to foster a people-centric cultural, enhance employee engagement and support the professional growth of its workforce.
Since 2002, Yip has served as the head of HR for the group. Her areas of expertise include talent management, diversity, inclusion, leadership, operational excellence and change management.
Marc Burki said, Chief Executive Officer of Swissquote: “Tara’s role as Head of Human Resources has been instrumental in the growth of Swissquote.” Tara’s leadership, expertise and experience will prove invaluable in a competitive business environment, where people are the key to success.
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