Hobson Leavy Recruits Chief People and Culture Officer for Beca Group
July 13, 2020 – As companies look to build internal brand awareness and set their sights on establishing and driving their own unique cultures, chief people officers are coming more into vogue. Recently, New Zealand executive search firm Hobson Leavy placed former Air New Zealand executive Anne Henry as chief people and culture officer for Beca Group.
“We are delighted to welcome Anne to Beca,” said Greg Lowe, group CEO at Beca Group. “We are truly a people business. Our people and our culture are what make our company thrive, so this is a crucial leadership role. A strong strategic direction in our people and culture program is essential to support our business in the successful delivery of our long-term strategic plan and our shorter-term operational performance.”
A strategic and commercial human resources professional, Ms. Henry is passionate about leadership, culture and talent development. She joins Beca’s executive leadership team from Air New Zealand where she was general manager people – corporate and business transformation. Ms. Henry spent nearly seven years in a range of human resources leadership roles with Air New Zealand, delivering key projects in the areas of leadership development and business transformation.
“I’m really excited to be joining Beca, where it’s clear people are truly the heart of the business,” said Ms. Henry. “I look forward to working with Beca’s highly regarded people and culture team to continue to develop its impressive culture and talent pool.”
Beca is one of the largest employee-owned professional services consultancy firms in the Asia-Pacific. The company has more than 3,400 staff working across 20 offices around the globe, with headquarters located in Auckland, New Zealand. Beca was founded in 1920 by Arthur Gray on his return to New Zealand after World War I, where he purchased an engineering practice that would later become Gray and Watts, then Gray Watts & Beca and eventually Beca Group.
Serving New Zealand
Hobson Leavy, founded in 2006 by Carrie Hobson and Stephen Leavy, focuses on CEO and executive-level and non-executive director appointments across all sectors in New Zealand. The firm has completed searches in sectors ranging from agriculture to wealth management. It has offices in Auckland and Wellington.
ManpowerGroup Names Chief People and Culture Officer
ManpowerGroup appointed former Molson Coors Brewing Co. veteran Michelle Nettles as chief people and culture officer. Ms. Nettles will join on July 29. She is chief people and diversity officer at Molson Coors, and a member of the executive leadership team responsible for strategy, talent optimization and culture. In her 20 years at the company,
“Michelle is an impressive people leader with extensive experience in global HR and a proven track record in driving a diverse and inclusive culture across multiple countries,” said Jonas Prising, chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup. “Her vision of employees as consumers together with her passion to broaden and deepen people’s skills and drive strong leadership capability is a great fit for ManpowerGroup as we continue to digitize and transform our business.
Ms. Hobson has over 25 years of corporate experience, initially in banking and finance and later in executive search. She has held senior positions in corporate banking with major banks in both New Zealand and the U.S. and has worked with top-level executives optimizing financial performance and implementing company strategy. She has held directorships in both the private and public sectors, with particular expertise in finance, health and human resources. Prior to Hobson Leavy, Ms. Hobson was a partner with another New Zealand executive search firm.
Mr. Leavy has extensive international experience in senior-level executive recruitment. He began his career as a solicitor with New Zealand law firm Russell McVeagh. He then moved to London where he joined professional services recruitment firm Quarry Dougall, becoming an associate director. He remained with the firm after its acquisition by Nasdaq-listed TMP Worldwide. Mr. Leavy later returned to New Zealand and was a partner with another leading New Zealand executive search firm before co-founding Hobson Leavy.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
