CRF‘s goal is to be valued for excellence, rigour, relationship building and providing an independent view which, together, lead to measurable improvement in members’ people and organisation performance.
CHAIRMAN’S STATEMENT
Before establishing CRF, PARC and Strategic Dimensions, I had the privilege of working in Senior HR roles in the US and Europe with six major international businesses including Avon, Rowntree, Unilever and Hewlett Packard. Those who were successful had a clear and compelling strategy, fostered a high-performance team-based culture, set clear objectives, employed clever people, understood the importance of customers and learned from the evaluation of outcomes.
In CRF, PARC and SD we apply these principles in the delivery of our services. We’ve built an unrivalled international network and knowledge bank in the HR and People Management communities and provide the very best advice, resourcing, research, solutions and networking to our clients.
Mike Haffenden
OUR TEAM
A blend of ex-HR practitioners, advisors and business leaders combined with senior management experience in thought leadership and forums.
Ali Akkaya
Digital Operations Manager
Ali takes the lead role in developing and implementing CRF’s technology roadmap, driving efficiency and business growth. Ali has a strong background in digital operations and educational technology, with expertise in information technologies, informatics, instructional design and project management.
Jamie Bellfield
Events Executive
Jamie is a recent graduate from the University of Bath, achieving a first-class honours degree in Sports Management. He joins the team with a background in events management and will be supporting the team in providing excellent service to members and ensuring the smooth running of CRF’s renowned events and learning programmes.
Prof. Rob Briner
Associate Director Research
Rob is Professor of Organizational Psychology at Queen Mary, University of London and Associate Research Director CRF. He is also currently a Visiting Professor of Evidence-Based HRM at Birkbeck (University of London) and Professor at Oslo Nye Høyskole. He was previously co-founder and Scientific Director of the Center for Evidence-Based Management and has held positions at the Institute for Employment Studies, London School of Economics, Kings’s College (University of London), Bath University and University of Edinburgh.
Melissa Bull
Commercial Director
Melissa is responsible for the growth of CRF through the acquisition of new corporate members and sponsoring partners of the annual programme as well as the growth of CRF Learning. Melissa also helps members optimise the value of their CRF membership through events, research, networking, and advisory services. Melissa brings 10 years of experience within the HR Advisory space from her experience at Korn Ferry, Hay Group and CEB.
Nikki Chiles
Events Executive
Nikki provides efficient, professional end-to-end support to the team, our clients and associates, contributing to the smooth running of CRF’s bespoke networking events. A BSc graduate from Bath University, Nikki joined sister company Strategic Dimensions in 2005 and has held various positions across CRF and associate businesses SD and PARC. Prior to this Nikki worked at the HQ of a national retailer as PA to the Head of Brand Communications.
Baris Demirer
Online Learning Team Leader
Baris is responsible for designing and developing interactive instructor-led courses, explainer videos, learning reinforcement tools, CRF’s digital transformation process and creating project plans. Working closely with subject matter experts and lead team members to design and produce top-quality learning journeys with his 8 years of experience.
Jessica Finn
Client Partner
Jessica collaborates with organisations to expend their networks and provides dedicated support to members, helping them maximise their membership benefits through research, networking opportunities and advisory services. Jessica brings more than 12 years’ of experience in business development and extensive experience in supporting international member networks.
Jon Evans
Client Partner
Jon brings over 30 years’ experience of working with clients in HR and L&D, and holds a degree in Leadership and Management from the Open University. He is passionate about providing outstanding service to our members, proactively seeking to connect them with vital and relevant information.
Nigel Hadleigh
Finance Director
Nigel is the Financial Controller for CRF and its associated businesses, PARC and SD. Nigel is responsible for all financial matters including accounts payable and receivable, payroll, taxation and monitoring business performance. He has extensive experience in accountancy, taxation and payroll.
Richard Hargreaves
Managing Director
Richard is responsible for the sustainable growth of CRF through delivering world-class HR content, facilitating knowledge exchange between HR professionals, focussing on future ventures and developing a great team. Prior to this role Richard was Commercial Director across CRF and PARC and previously the EMEA Sponsorship Director at The Economist Group.
Toby Hargreaves
Commercial Executive
As Commercial Executive, Toby supports the commercial team ensuring members and partners get as much value from the CRF network as possible. Toby’s role includes data management and reporting.
Jordan Hayward
Senior Marketing Executive
As Senior Marketing Executive Jordan is responsible for supporting the generation of new business and executing the marketing strategy through all digital and non-digital marketing channels. Jordan brings with him cross-industry experience operating in government, insurance and FTSE organisations.
Nick Holley
Director of CRF Learning
As Director of CRF Learning, Nick has responsibility to run and provide development programmes for HR teams and senior professionals. Prior to joining CRF, Nick spent 10 years at Henley Business School where he was a visiting professor and Director of the Centre for HR Excellence. He has developed and delivered HR capability programmes for organisations across the UK and Europe, and internationally.
Ash Khan
Marketing Manager
Ash is responsible for producing and driving the marketing strategy for CRF and it’s sister organisation, the Performance and Reward Centre (PARC). Ash has over 12 years of cross-industry marketing experience ranging from small not-for-profit membership organisations to large FTSE organisations with success across events, publishing and higher education marketing.
Athena Kitching
Operations Director
As Operations Director, Athena is responsible for optimising the customer experience through the effective alignment, planning and delivery of CRF’s key projects including the core programme, digital and physical events, and CRF Learning including On Demand. She brings 13 years of international project and event management experience to the role.
Emma Lucas
Associate
Emma is a skilled coach, trainer, facilitator, and consultant. Emma has held senior leadership roles in HR, Learning, and Talent. She has managed global teams and has a passion for developing talent.
Sean Mills
Client Partner
Sean brings over 20 years’ experience of working in Human Capital consulting, with a background in Leadership Assessment & Development and Employee Experience. He has a genuine interest in helping organisations get the best out of their people by driving sustainable performance.
Oliver Morgan
Technology Graduate
Oliver Morgan is a recent graduate from the University of Kent, where he earned a First-Class Honours degree in Artificial Intelligence. With a strong academic background in Computer Science and Mathematics, Oliver is currently working on implementing CRF’s technology roadmap and driving improvements to internal processes.
Jo Nayler
Senior Research Executive
Jo is responsible for publishing original research as well as adapting and developing CRF content for use across the website and member communications. Prior to joining CRF, she worked for over five years as a researcher and writer, gaining experience of a range of different research methods and publishing content in a variety of formats.
Rosanna Neary
Senior Client Partner
As Membership Engagement Manager, Rosanna supports CRF members to optimise the value of their membership through events, research, networking and advisory services. Rosanna has been part of the CRF team for over 4 years and is passionate about connecting with members, sharing insights on industry trends and building capability.
Harriet Ojo
Design Manager
A First-Class Honours graduate in Events Management, Harriet leads the design and layout of all printed and soft copy materials, marketing collateral, membership programmes and reports. Her role also encompasses the same responsibilities for both CRF’s sister organisations, Strategic Dimensions (SD) and Performance and Reward Centre (PARC).
Will Pemberton
Programme Manager
Will is responsible for the preparation and delivery of our event content and design, both online and in-person. He supports on the curation and development of digital content, and facilitates on the CRF Learning Business Partnering programme. Will comes with 6 years of experience in the events and facilitation industries.
Gillian Pillans
Research Director
Gillian has worked as a senior HR practitioner and OD specialist for several organisations including Swiss Re, Vodafone and BAA. Prior to her HR career, she was a management consultant with Deloitte Consulting and is also a qualified solicitor. As Research Director, Gillian has written various CRF reports on subjects including HR strategy, organisation design and development, leadership development, talent management, coaching and diversity.
Erika Rigley-Brown
Client Partner
Erika engages with organisations that are committed to developing and enhancing their HR function. As a Business Development Manager with a background in delivering effective corporate relationships, Erika has more than 12 years’ experience of building and supporting valued partnerships with global organisations.
Mette Stern
Senior Client Partner
Mette is responsible for helping partners optimise the value of their CRF partnership through events, research, networking and advisory services. After graduating with a BA (Hons) from Cambridge University, Mette spent over 10 years in Professional Services Marketing managing integrated campaigns and a variety of stakeholders, advising Partners on communicating with their target audience and growing their business.
Chantal Voisin
Senior Events Executive
A BA Honors in Event Management, Chantal is responsible for the CRF programme event logistics and operations.
Chantal comes with over 10 years of event management experience within the membership associations and higher education sectors.
John Whelan
Director
Formerly UK HR Director of BAE Systems, the FTSE 100 defence, security, and aerospace company, John’s experience and strengths lie in business and HR Transformation, Organisation Development and Employee Relations. Prior to joining BAE, he held a variety of HR roles in Engineering, Technology and Manufacturing businesses across the Telecommunications and semi-conductor industries including Matra-Marconi Space where he was HR Director for the UK and, latterly, Group HRD.
CHARITIES WE HAVE SUPPORTED
Throughout the year we make donations to Charities nominated by our team members. In the last few years CRF, PARC and SD have donated to the following Charities:
Testimonials
I continue to be impressed by the way Corporate Research Forum links the best of leading academic input to the real organisation and people issues faced by businesses in today’s uncertain environment. Added to that, they are always a pleasure to work with.
Amy C. Edmondson, Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and thought the content was just right. I particularly enjoyed the practical sessions where we could put some of the tools to use and I will be using these with my Business Partners.
Clare Booth, Head of Reward & People Services, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
CRF offers us access to quality research, networking, resources and meetings that energise, engage and develop our diverse Human Resources community. Feedback from our HR team is always positive, stressing the pragmatic and freshness of the discussions and ideas.
Bev Cunningham, Senior Vice President HR Europe, Ricoh Europe
Ricoh Europe
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