From steel to hospitality, FMCG to higher education, culminating in an exciting role for Leicestershire Police. Hear more about Alastair's varied professional career in the people space.
Current job title and description of what this role entails:
I currently hold the role of Assistant Chief Officer for People at Leicestershire Police. It includes having accountability across all aspects of HR, Organisational Development and Wellbeing.
Tell us about your career journey since graduating from LSE?
Having graduated from LSE I went straight to the North East of England to join the Corus (former British Steel) graduate training scheme. Within months I found myself in a substantive role and leading HR support to a site closure. Even though I was busy I found time to come back to LSE for a career session for the next year’s intake.
From Corus I went to Hilton Hotel Group where I supported day-to-day employment relations, as well as buying and selling hotels. Here I became a company nominated pension scheme trustee (believed to be the youngest in the FTSE at the time…).
Onto my first generalist senior HR Business Partner role at Associated British Foods where I worked directly with the supply chain leadership team.
A shorter than anticipated stint in Royal Mail followed, before I found myself doing a bit of interim work for two former bosses as I decided what I wanted to do next whilst the financial crisis hit.
As can happen after several months of maybes I found myself with three concrete job offers, and took a job in the Higher Education space, where I spent nearly 10 years in Human Resources at a senior level, culminating in Head of HR at the British Library.
With a young family I had been looking to move back to the East Midlands where I grew up, and as luck would have it I applied for my current role at Leicestershire Police.
"It’s surprising how far a love of Leicester Tigers can get you sometimes!"
So nearly five years in, I find myself heading up a team of around 200 people in one of the most acronym rich sectors in the world, striving to keep a broad and varied population safe and well everyday. It is genuinely humbling to work within policing, and I am learning everyday.
Additionally I have picked up a varied non-executive role, as Deputy Chair of Trustee of Northumbria University Student Union, where I studied at undergraduate level. I am passionate about giving back as the education and industry year (Girl Scouts of America – that is another story!) did so much to shape my career. I also sit on union recognition panels as a member of the Central Arbitration Committee and assist with Magistrate conduct matters in London.
"As you can tell I am quite into professional variety, and who knows what might come next!"
How has the programme you studied helped your career since you graduated?
Without a doubt the LSE brand opened the doors to start my professional career. It also engaged my passion for industrial relations and the role of representation in the workplace.
The career coaching mornings led by Gordon Sapsed had a tangible impact, especially one of the exercises where you have a five minute presentation prepared and have to summarise it one minute to get your point across - I use it most weeks!
What's the best piece of career advice you've received?
Setbacks can turn into opportunities.
What´s the greatest challenge you´ve had to overcome?
Understanding people, and I am only scratching the surface!
What are your hopes for the future?
To keep learning and never stand still, to help my friends and family and laugh along the way, and that my daughter continues to grow into the independent thinker she will surely be.
Oh and the Department of Management organise a spectacular reunion for the Class of 2000 next year – and we are all there!
Share with us your fondest memory of the Department of Management.
The people - we’ve all lost touch with far too many classmates and faculty. I am in contact with a few, LinkedIn with more, and meet up with one, but the memories are there for a lifetime.
The three tuns and the residential at Cumberland Lodge. Jacqui’s non-alcoholic hangover was twenty years ahead of its time.
If you would like to be profiled or if you would like to nominate a Department of Management alumni, please email dom.alumni@lse.ac.uk.