"A growing law firm with a glowing reputation"
Main sponsors of the 2007 Recruitment Awards
The judges
Jeanette Wheeler, Birketts, Partner and Head of the Employment team in Norwich
Jeanette
qualified as a solicitor over nine years ago becoming a partner in 2005
and moving to Birketts to head the Norwich employment team in early 2007.
She has wide ranging legal experience advising significant household names on matters from large scale redundancy restructuring exercises to the TUPE implications of outsourcings, acquisitions and disposals to dealing with the removal of directors and senior executives, compromise agreements, difficult staff grievances and the Tribunal claims that can ensue.
She has also travelled extensively to the US advising on multi-jurisdictional deals. Her clients have included NXP Semi-conductors formerly a division of Philips Electronics, Central Trust, Kettle Foods, Bespak plc and other large corporates.
Jeanette has also provided employment law advice to the recruitment industry and recruitment agencies and she understands the HR challenges it faces.
Helen Walsham: Director of Academy Flagship Housing Group
Helen
has 20 years’ experience in the fields of HR and Training, working
in both the public and private sector. A Fellow of the Institute of Personnel
and Development and a former winner of the CIPD John Bradbury Award, she
takes HR best practice very seriously, always looking for opportunities
to champion those who strive for high standards.
“That’s what I like most about the EDP Recruitment Awards,”
says Helen. “They encourage those in our field to raise the bar.”
Helen’s wealth of experience comes from working in a variety of industries
including transport, construction and the financial sector.
“I must admit some of my happiest times were working with 250 accountants!” she says.
Helen joined Flagship Housing Group, the largest provider of affordable
housing in the Eastern Region, as Director of Academy in August 2005. With
a staff of 560, Helen is responsible for all aspects of HR and Training
as well as Health and Safety, Continuous Improvement and Regulation. Of
her job, Helen says, “It is incredibly varied and challenging and
the pace of change in the sector is phenomenal.”
When not at work, Helen, who lives in South Norfolk with her husband and
three children, enjoys gardening and travel.
Rachel Crampton: Managing director, Travel Centre
Travel
Centre was founded in 1961 by Jim and Barbara Crampton, with the original
shop at Castle Hill (now replaced by the Mall) – at 45 years old,
Travel Centre is now one of the longest established independent travel agencies
in the region.
"I went to school in Norwich and then to Warwick University to read Comparative American Studies, when I also spent a year at university in the USA as an exchange student. Having graduated in 1982, and not knowing exactly I wanted to do, I did a 6-month secretarial course in London. I moved back to Norwich and did some temp work (so I have experience of recruitment agencies from a different perspective, albeit from many moons ago!).
"I then for a local marketing company, involved in putting together trade directories and on various projects for local companies (advertising, events, PR, etc). I then moved to the Motor Industry Research Unit based at the UEA undertaking consultancy projects for motor manufacturers and assisting with writing books on the industry. After this I became a Product Manager at Tom Smiths Crackers on their party products range. I then turned freelance, working with a variety of clients doing market research, PR, copywriting, marketing, etc.
"During this time I started doing some work in Travel Centre, subsequently buying the then Managing Director out and taking over as MD in May 1992, around the time of the last Gulf War."
Travel Centre now has 7 divisions operating from 5 sites in Norfolk. In addition to general holiday bookings, the company specialises in tailor-made holidays (utilising its special contract rates with many airlines) in particular to Australasia, America and Canada. The company has a dedicated business travel division and also sells airline tickets to other travel agents throughout the UK.
Lisa Collen, HR & Development Manager, BBC East
"Working
in the media industry is a privilege. Working at the BBC is an honour. Working
with Archant on their Recruitment Awards is an absolute pleasure!
"I have been involved with the Recruitment Awards for a couple of years; firstly as someone who entered, then as a Judge and finally as part of the Steering Group. This year, I was delighted to accept the mantel of Mentor Judge and have relished the opportunity to be part of a team taking the Awards to yet another professional level. This year the Recruitment Awards will be bigger and better and to support that, the judging will be much more measurable and transparent and the Judges will be more informed and involved in the whole process, from application to award.
"My career has spanned junior to senior HR roles in both the public and private sector. My background is in business and HR management and my current role is about working in partnership with the BBC Radio, Online and TV senior managers within BBC East. My objective is to develop a compelling business aligned and prioritised BBC People Strategy to support the delivery of creative output across Television, Radio and Online media for Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Three Counties and Northampton.
"As with many people today, I will be juggling many balls over the next few months, with managing my day job, mentoring and coaching my fellow Recruitment Award Judges, Judging the Awards and visiting a number of the Companies who submit entries for some of our selected Awards this year. Oh, and not forgetting to be a wife, sister, friend and mother and having lots of fun along the way!"
James Steggles, Steggles Larner
Norfolk
born James Steggles is a Chartered Surveyor by profession and has Norwich
based companies Steggles Larner Property Management and Flint Environmental
Services, involved in asbestos management and surveying for current legislation.
He has been a director of several leisure orientated companies ranging from manufacture and export of gaming machines predominantly to Eastern Europe, land diversification for international fisheries and holiday businesses operating in the UK. He is a member of Network 21 and currently building a health and nutrition based business.
Apart from putting a smile on peoples faces one of his favourite activities is “Observing the masses and doing the opposite”! He is a keen advocate of ‘Norfolk plc’ and enjoys the positive buzz of the county both to live and do business.
Steve Turton, Turton
Steve Turton is Managing Director of Turton Design & Advertising, a
leading marketing communications agency based in Norwich.
Steve first studied graphics at Norwich School of Art and Design in the early 1970's followed by a postgraduate course at the London College of Printing where he gained a distinction in Advanced Typographic Design.
He then returned to Norfolk and in 1983, and set up in business providing design and creative services to a broad range of clients, including some well known household names such as Lidl, Sara Lee, English Country Cottages, Hoseasons and Sandtex.
The company started business in Harleston and moved to their current premises in St Andrews St Norwich eight years ago. Now in its 20th year, it currently employs 17 people with a diversity of skills, experience and professional qualifications.
Steve has always regarded HR as a strategic part of the business, as equally important as client satisfaction, internal processes and finance, simply because it's the people that make the the business a success, and finding the right people requires time and investment.
Steve is delighted to be involved with the recruitment awards this year and is looking forward to combining his personal knowledge of advertising and experience of working with recruitment agencies to some very good use.
Paul Awcock, Norwich Union
17
years experience of working within the recruitment industry, initially working
for a small independent Agency in Sussex. Headhunted by a larger organisation
to manage a 6 branch network as well as manage national contract for outsourced
recruitment to the ITT London & Edinburgh insurance group.
"In 1998 Norwich Union acquired ITT London & Edinburgh and I was offered a role as a Senior HR Consultant within the Worthing office and National Relationship Manager for all Preferred Suppliers (Recruitment Agencies). In 2000 I was promoted to HR Business Manager looking after a national team of Consultants aligned to Norwich Union Operations (high volume).
"June 2005 I was seconded in to the role of Head of HR – Recruitment and converted to permanent in December 2005. I currently lead a function of c100 fte, with 6 direct reports. Our customer portfolio includes Norwich Union Insurance/RAC, Norwich Union Life, Norwich Union Healthcare & Bluecycle.
"I have teams based in Bescott, Norwich, Perth, Worthing & York and we deliver a consultancy service to our customer base across 32 key locations managing around 7500 vacancies per year."