CRF Learning: Creating a ‘Win-Win’ Employee Relations Strategy

Nick is a consultant, speaker, author, and advocate. Until end of 2020, he was Executive Vice President H.R. at Unilever.

After graduating with a degree in Politics and Economics from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and spending a year as a student politician (sabbatical secretary of the student Union), he joined Unilever in 1986. His first role was in Hull, UK, as an employee relations manager in a Bird’s Eye Walls
factory. He later became personnel manager for a bigger site covering Hull and Grimsby, where he managed large scale restructuring that became an ACAS case study of best practice.
After 15 years working in Bird’s Eye in various locations, he went off to Rotterdam, the Netherlands to work in Unilever’s ice cream and frozen food business in Europe. His role there was to scale and regionalise the business. Then he went to Switzerland to establish what is called the Unilever supply chain company, first on a European level than on a global level. Before becoming EVP HR for Business
Transformation, Nick was EVP HR for Europe and the Global Markets, having day to day responsibility for Unilever’s HR partnering globally.
The last 35 + years, has seen him covering all areas of H.R. ranging from introducing new HR information systems, recruitment, designing new reward systems for sales forces, working with marketing teams to speed up innovation times, through to setting up new Companies and troubleshooting industrial relations ‘crises’ across the globe.
His passion is for change management, Organisational development and industrial/ employee relations. He describes his ‘purpose’ as ‘ bringing creativity from conflict’. He is an H.R, professional because he believes that if ‘we change the workplace, we do change the world’. He has co-authored
the book HR (R) evolution, change the workplace, change the world (2019- Routledge), and has also co-authored an article for the Harvard Business Review (March/April 2022). His work on Unilever’s Future of Work programme has been captured in case studies currently used in programmes by the Harvard Business School and the London School of Economics.
Since 2020, Nick has worked as a consultant in the financial services sector, aviation sector, retail sector and software (AI development) sector, as well as for FMCG companies. Nick also speaks regularly at HR, business conferences and training events, advocating for the ‘Paradox wave’, by explaining the 7 Great Waves of people management. Starting from ‘Paternalism’ at the dawn of the industrial revolution, moving through the waves of ‘Power, Process, Profit, Purpose, Paradox and Planet’. Concepts explained fully in his co-authored book and manifesto for change –
‘H( R ) evolution, Change the workplace , change the world.’

Emma is a Partner at Eversheds Sutherland in London, specialising in Industrial Relations and Employment Law.

Emma is one of the firm’s leading collective labor law lawyers; working regularly on union-related issues and collective disputes. Emma also provides strategic advice in respect of assisting businesses to navigate through difficult change projects, often in the context of a complex industrial relations environment.

Emma has extensive experience in high court litigation and interim injunctions in the context of industrial disputes regarding the lawfulness of strike action, and also in respect of restrictive covenant enforcement and serious breaches of confidence. Her litigation experience also extends to the Employment Tribunal where she has dealt with claims for a range of clients, in respect of a variety of issues such as unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, whistleblowing and discrimination.

Clare is a Partner at Eversheds Sutherland. She supports employers in all employment matters whilst focusing on Labour Relations and Employee Wellbeing. Clare carried out her training contract in-house with the Co-operative Insurance Society. She qualified in 2003 with a trade union firm and spent four years acting for trade unions and their members, gaining valuable experience and insight before joining Eversheds Sutherland in 2007.

Clare now spends her time helping employers define their trade union relationships and providing critical support if relationships breakdown.

She drafts collective agreements as part of helping clients review their relationships.

Clare supports restructuring and TUPE exercises where careful management of the trade union relationship can be crucial. Clare also defends failure to provide information claims, I&C complaints, unlawful inducements claims. Clare advises strategically when employers are faced with industrial action and has obtained industrial action injunctions.

Clare leads the relationship with a number of clients predominately from the transport, manufacturing and education sectors.

Clare has gained significant experience supporting employers in their employee wellbeing agendas and presents on various wellbeing subjects both publicly and in-house.

John Whelan is a Director at Corporate Research Forum. 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.