Meet the Team
Nick Galton moved in to the private sector after spending 22 years in the Civil Service, with the last 4 being for HM Treasury where he was responsible for pay delegation, job evaluation and business case remits. Using his finance, HR and assignment background he has now worked for a wide range of customers, ranging from FTSE 100 companies employing tens of thousands of people right across the globe to Non-Departmental Public Bodies that employ less than 50 people in a highly focussed work area. A typical project would tend to start with the analysis of an organisation’s reward structure and the identification of any problem areas e.g. poor staff retention, high staff costs or non-achievement of goals. Through interview, discussion and research, options would be developed to restructure the organisation’s reward structures/systems and the associated costs and benefits would be identified. Once decisions had been made and any required funding obtained (normally by writing a re-structuring business case and the associated pay remit) plans would then be made for the transition, new policies would be drafted and staff communications completed. His key strengths are often identified as being his pragmatism, clarity of explanation and long experience.
Lisa Ruff, GradIPD has worked as a specialist Reward Consultant since 2001. Prior to this date Lisa spent 10 years as an HR generalist in the private sector working in organisations in retail and financial services. During her career as an HR generalist she was responsible for employee relations, policy development, training, performance management, payroll, development of employee handbooks and contracts, recruitment and Health & Safety. Due to Lisa’s practical experience of working within the HR functions of organisations, she has great insight into the issues associated with the implementation of new pay and reward systems. Since becoming a Reward Consultant Lisa has gained extensive experience as a job evaluation analyst, computer pay modeller, equal pay auditor and advisor on total reward packages. She has now become our expert on total reward and costing new structures and systems. On a personal note, Lisa is often accompanied to the office by her dog Sancho, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, who has met some of our customers and she is also due to commence 3 months maternity leave at the end of 2008 to have her first child.
John Kirkwood joined us from The Ministry of Defence in 2005 where for the previous 5 years he was Director of Job Evaluation responsible for evaluating every job type and level in the Armed Forces and for providing advice on organisational structures and senior posts. He brings to job evaluation first hand experience of running medium sized, multi functional, organisations, managing major projects and advising Government Ministers in the UK and abroad. Since moving to consultancy he has worked mainly with NDPBs and local authorities. He has led pay and grading reviews, equality audits, and skills and capabilities audits, and has advised on business strategy, organisational structures and on the development of job evaluation schemes. Besides his very extensive experience of all natures and levels of jobs, and how they interact, John understands what makes organisations tick, is a persuasive advocate for change and an unforgiving project manager. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies, where he was also on the staff, and has an OBE.
Michelle Buckley came into HR after graduating from university & has now spent the last 6 years as a Reward Consultant. She is a fully competent job analyst, computer pay modeller & pay researcher & has been at the forefront of a number of key projects including British Medical Journal (pay & grading review), Keynote Housing Group (defining new grading structures), HMV (developing a new pay & grading system), New Forest District Council & British Sugar (researching market rates of pay based on job evaluation scores), the BBSRC & NERC (benchmarking the remuneration packages for all staff), Investors in People (strategic review & developing new grading structures). She has undertaken pay comparability exercises for several senior posts & has presented her analysis & recommendations to Remuneration Committees.
Mark Fry co-founder of the business, spent 23 years in central government departments where his last post was Head of Personnel and Training at the Charity Commission. Working with a wide variety of customers since becoming a remuneration consultant in 1998, Mark has acquired extensive experience of managing large-scale assignments in relation to conducting pay and grading reviews leading to the development and implementation of new pay and grading systems. This typically involves leading on major projects from inception through to delivery, working closely with and training in-house teams and recognised trades unions, and making presentations to all employees to gain the appropriate “buy-in”. Mark uses a range of job evaluation methodologies and provides training for in-house analysts of customers that want to carry out their own job evaluations. He also undertakes annual remuneration reviews for many customers, the findings and recommendations of which they rely upon in order to agree their annual pay settlements. Mark’s experience and knowledge of handling industrial relations issues further strengthens our consultancy team.
Robyn Coles joined The Reward Partnership in November 2006. After graduating from University in the East Midlands, she spent three years working in radio as an on-air Events & Promotions Co-ordinator & a further 3 years as Office Manager for a visual merchandising/brand consultancy. Although we rely heavily on her organisational skills to keep the office systems running smoothly, her main focus at The Reward Partnership is pay research & analytical job evaluation. Her ideas & creativity on public relations, marketing & networking are also being utilised, therefore trying to keep us ahead of the game. Robyn enjoys socialising, surfing the internet looking for all things bizarre & interesting, along with shopping & watching Hollyoaks!
