Richard's role covered a full range of both strategic and generalist HR items including time and attendance, performance management, handling of grievance and disciplinary cases, numerous re-structures, TUPE transfers in and out, creation and delivery of training modules, interpretation and application of Company policies and terms and conditions of employment, the introduction of a standardised appraisal system including the introduction of and training out the use of agreed Company competences, national and local consultation with Trade Unions and Employee Forums, plus the preparation and presentation of cases in the Employment Tribunals.

Of particular note in my time working with Richard he was responsible for the following: -

· Preparation of and presentation of bid documentation for NHS contracts; due diligence on potential acquisitions and construction of data rooms for potential disposals. Following on from this, the sSuccessful handling of a large number of TUPE transfers both in and out of the business along with numerous internal re-structures, with no associated litigation issues

· Creation and continual monitoring/updating of all relevant employment related policies and procedures, in addition to the provision of complete management tool kits, standard forms and letters to support these policies. Furthermore, the creation of a database of all such documents (in excess of 500) which is available to all employees in real time from the Company Intranet

· Introduction of a standardised and detailed Competency Dictionary to assist with the measurement of all employees in relation to the “how” linked directly to the Company’s values, and linked this to the introduction of an on-line appraisal and development system

· Design, implementation and management of a set of on-line workflows to provide direct feed of all people related information (permission to hire, recruitment, induction, probationary reviews, changes to terms and conditions, annual appraisals, leavers, records of grievance and disciplinary cases, sickness absence and timekeeping) to both feed the payroll system, ensure the provision of correct contracts and other related documentation and ensure the provision of accurate, timely and meaningful MIS.

· Detailed provision of a range of training courses on both legal requirements and HR best practice to especially support management on the correct application of all Company policies and procedures as described above

At all times, Richard demonstrated a wide range of knowledge in terms of employment law and HR best practice combined with a high level of commercial understanding, pragmatic and analytical problem solving skills and common sense, and was a trusted support to both senior and local management teams he worked with and was always trusted to come up with a reasonable and workable solution to all issues and to ensure that those solutions were implemented.

Through 7 years of working together I saw Richard most closely on a number of M&A transactions (acquisitions and disposals, UK US and Europe). Synergy’s hands-on approach to M&A and to post-acquisition integration meant that Richard’s authoritative knowledge, thoroughness, and whole-hearted commitment was invaluable. Further, his advice was always pragmatic and commercially-focused: not something which can be taken for granted amongst his external peers. I would heartily recommend Richard for his HR leadership skills, his technical expertise and the commercial contribution he could make to your team.

Tim Fowler
Group Financial Controller - Synergy Health plc

Richard provided excellent support to me and my commercial team at Synergy Health, offering wide ranging advice on employment issues, TUPE transfer and related matters. Richard's knowledge and business orientation proved valuable to several high value bids for service contracts in addition to discussions within the leadership team on business plans and policy.

Mike Langhorn
Managing Director Synergy LMS

From the beginning of my working relationship with Richard, I was impressed with his in-depth HR knowledge, professionalism, experience, and the effortlessness with which he practised interpersonal skills – underpinned by his work ethic and integrity.

Richard has an approachable and supportive manner and established a robust reputation as someone who brings strong leadership, vision and energy to his role and the organisation.

We worked closely on various projects during a period of significant growth within our organisation, driven by both strategic acquisition and organic growth and Richard’s expertise on the complexities and regulations regarding TUPE and organisational restructure, was invaluable.

He proactively fostered constructive and positive working relationships with the various key Trade Unions in our industry and worked closely with the respective Union representatives as required to ensure collaborative agreement on projects.

Richard has directly supported me through various employee related issues, including many complex and highly sensitive scenarios, by offering measured direction and advice. He will openly share critical insights with colleagues and peers.

He is also highly focussed on fair and equal opportunity for all employees and we worked closely on a range of Talent Strategy, Succession Planning and Leadership Development initiatives. This also included the creation and implementation of a Graduate Recruitment Programme, to great success.

He couples objectivity with the right values and remains open minded to reaching solutions in partnership with all engaged stakeholders and has an obvious compassion for all employees he is responsible for. However, he does not hesitate to make tough calls when needed and will challenge colleagues to make mindful decisions about their employees.

Richard can always be counted on to deliver key objectives on time with high quality outcomes. He is a team player who is respected by his peers and I would have no hesitation in recommending him for any senior/executive HR role - he will be an asset to any organisation.

Doros Polydorou
Business Development Director – EMEA
STERIS Instrument Management Services

I worked with Richard on several NHS Projects. Richard consistently delivered against very tight and complex project and programme timelines. He is an extremely capable professional, excellent at building relationships and with the ability to fine tune a message to ensure it is fully understood by recipients at both ground level and board level.

Anne-Marie Bond
Sterile Services HR Lead – Department of Health

I've worked and known Richard for the past 5 years, and found him to be exceptional. He is very approachable, and has provided expert help for any issues or help that I required for the development of my team. Not only is this apparent in his personal approach, but also in the development of systems, procedures, protocols and his own team. It is Richard's huge knowledge base that creates such simple and effective solutions, and ensures that you feel supported through any situation. We had great in-house development whilst challenging the business to grow with pace and passion. We grew at a tremendous rate, and this is difficult, if not impossible to do without the right people across the entire business. I felt part of the team, and fully supported at every turn. The business had a wonderful vibe, and it recognised that people are the foundation for any business. Richard brought this to our business, and his support has been much appreciated.

Jason Williams
Global Strategic Sourcing Director
Synergy Health plc

I recommend Richard, having worked with him for over 10 years. Throughout that time, Richard provided strong HR leadership to support significant organic growth in addition to successfully managing the transfer of staff in relation to numerous acquisitions and projects involving TUPE. Richard and his team were key to the successful recruitment, transfer, training, development, retention and engagement of staff. Richard built and developed strong relationships at all levels and consistently demonstrated excellent commitment to all aspects of his work.

Adrian Coward
Senior Vice President Healthcare Services
STERIS (formerly Synergy Health plc)

I worked closely with Richard over 5 years during his time as HR Director at Synergy Health and STERIS. Together, we designed and implemented a suite of bespoke HR information and workflow systems for the company intranet. Richard was the project sponsor and I acted as the architect/developer.

Throughout our time working together, I was consistently impressed by Richard's detailed knowledge of HR legislation, company policy and business process and the way each applied to HR information systems. His expertise provided a solid foundation for me as I set out to meet his brief to deliver robust, secure, usable software, that was focused on getting the right information from the end user as quickly and as easily as possible. Richard's vision was such that, in addition to delivering a compelling user experience, the systems were also built to provide traceability for auditors and full authorisation/management information capabilities for his team of HR managers.

In the end, Richard and his team designed the systems so successfully that they were able to devolve nearly all the most time-consuming clerical tasks to business administrators, whilst retaining full control and visibility, thereby removing the need for costly, centralised HR administration and freeing them up as HR professionals to focus on matters that required their particular skills and expertise.

As the above amply demonstrates, Richard has a keen eye for innovation and he managed the projects in a way that made my daily duties very enjoyable. He has an intuitive understanding of when to take guidance and when to give it; it was a pleasure working with him and any forward-thinking organisation would be fortunate to have him as its HR Director. I recommend him without reservation.

Having just started career as an HR Advisor I was lucky enough to report to Richard. I found him very supportive in my new role and he was always just a phone call away.

Richard and I worked together as senior Directors at STERIS. He is a consummate professional with a wealth of HR knowledge, particularly within the complex T&C's of the NHS. In his global role he has successfully worked with Works Council's of many countries and of course, UK Trades Unions. A great negotiator, Richard is able to establish a win/win position wherever possible and appropriate. He is empathetic and considered, always willing to listen and support both employees and the business. I would highly recommend Richard as an HR Director and would endorse his skills to fulfil a role of scale and complexity
Kevin Holder, Managing Director STERIS Instrument Management Services