Personal development How I got here
How I got here...
Liam Powell
Group HR director, Marston’s
Top three career tips
Group HR director
Marston’s
2018 – Present
I think I’ll probably always stay in hospitality now.
Marston’s is a much bigger business with much more
responsibility. In the head of HR role you can see things
going on and try to do as much as you can but in this
role the seat at the table is very much a seat at the
table; we’re not here ticking boxes.
Head of HR and group reward
Marston’s
2015 – 2018
I looked after HR business partnering for the managed
pubs business. We didn’t have anyone doing reward so I
was kind of banging the drum saying ‘recruit a reward
specialist’. Catherine Taylor, then group people director
said ‘we’re not going to do that so you have a go at it’
and made me head of HR and group reward.
Head of HR/Senior HR business partner
Ideal Standard
2013 – 2015
This role gave me a European remit as well, so there
was the head of HR role in the UK, and then I worked with
the VP of HR and the European talent director on
performance management. I looked after Ireland as well
in that role so I had the UK and Ireland and then a dotted
line in to Mark McRae global VP of HR at the time and
did some European stuff.
HR business partner
Spirit Pub Company
2007 – 2013
I joined as an HR assistant back in 2007. After about
nine months Amanda Brady then head of HR at Spirit
basically gave me a shot and said go out into the fi eld as
an ER adviser. I moved through a variety of roles
– ER, talent, resourcing, then went into a bizarre
role as HR specialist for a period, which was
effectively a junior HRBP. And then eventually
ended up in HR business partnering.
HR administrator
Homeserve
Aug 2007 – Oct 2007
After realising I wanted to go into HR trying to
fi nd an HR role was nigh on impossible. I just
couldn’t get a foot in the door. They didn’t want to
take the risk, even at that level. The opportunity
came up through a contact to work for free on a
three-month fi xed-term contract.
Company director and coach
Pro Soccer Scheme
2005 – 2007
I didn’t really know what I was going to do with
life so set up my own coaching company, which
was coaching kids. We got up to about 15
coaches at one point across the Midlands, but it
just wasn’t what I wanted to do. I think I lost the
enthusiasm and passion for football and I wasn’t
enjoying it. At the time I started studying a
psychology degree.
Professional football player
Leicester City Football Club
2002 – 2004
I had a four-year professional contract and
started studying for a sports science degree. With
about two years left on my professional contract
they let me go, which was disappointing but then
fi nancially a great opportunity because they paid
off the remainder of my contract.
Education
University of Derby
Postgraduate diploma
in HR management
2009 – 2011
Loughborough College
BTech in sports
science studies
2002 – 2004
I was interested
in human
behaviour and
business.
HR seems to
sit at this
cross section
3
Ask for help. Being brave enough to show
vulnerability and ask for help has been one
2
Choose your boss wisely. I have been
lucky to work for some excellent people
(and one not-so-excellent person). I
realised it is incredibly important to
to work for as they play a
huge role in your career
1
Have a plan. At the start of my HR
career I wrote down my career plan.
I was prepared to fl ex the plan, but if
I made a commitment to myself
and it went on to the plan more
often than not it happened
58 HR February 2020 hrmagazine.co.uk
Images: AdobeStock
of the biggest enablers to me achieving
what I have. Surrounding
yourself with really good
people and letting them help
is the key to success
choose the person you want
/hrmagazine.co.uk