Director of People and Culture and member of the University Executive
Helen joined Cranfield University in 2005, originally as the Senior HR Business Partner for the School of Management and its subsidiary companies. During her time at Cranfield Helen has also worked on a number of major change initiatives including the relocation of staff from the former Silsoe campus to Cranfield. She was promoted to Head of HR Operations in 2015 and took up her present role as Director of Human Resources (now People and Culture) in August 2018.
Helen leads the University’s People & Culture and Learning & Development function, a key service for the University, responsible for developing and delivering the HR strategy to enable the University to meet its ambitious objectives. HR ensures that effective plans are delivered to recruit, develop and retain diverse talent at all levels.
Helen has over 25 years’ experience in HR management; she began her career as a management trainee in the Civil Service before moving on to work for Ernst & Young (EY). During her time at EY she managed the support staff recruitment function before being promoted to HR Project Manager, supporting a major re-organisation of the London Office, and ultimately to HR Director for the National Corporate Recovery division, focussing on managing change, executive level coaching and senior level talent management. After working at EY for 12 years Helen took a career break to have a family.
Helen is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, and has a BA Hons degree in German & European Studies from London University and a MA in Manpower Studies from the University of Westminster.
