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People and OD Leadership Team

Here are the members of the People and OD Leadership Team:

Andrew Mullen, Acting Director of People and Organisational Development

As Acting Director, Andrew provides senior strategic support and guidance to the University’s Senior Leadership. 

Andrew is a generalist by background, but he has particular interests in culture change, employee relations and engagement, leadership development, and Equality Diversity and Inclusion.

After graduating with a degree in Economics from the University of Birmingham, Andrew spent the early part of his career in HR in financial services as a Graduate Trainee and then as Personnel Officer in manufacturing. Andrew joined the University in 1990 and has been a senior member of People and OD Leadership for over 20 years. He became a Graduate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in 1990 and was awarded full Chartered Membership in 1994.

Outside of work, Andrew is active in the city as Vice-Chair of the Board of the Greater Manchester Education Multi-Academy Trust (GMET), and as a Trustee of the Booth Centre homelessness charity. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys film, music, current affairs and walking. Andrew is also a long-suffering supporter of, and season ticket holder at, his hometown football club, Scunthorpe United.

Jo Couling, Lead People & OD Partner, Professional Services and Cultural Institutions

Jo joined the P&OD Leadership team in 2022 and is responsible for the People & OD Partnering Team for Professional Services and the Cultural Institutions.  Jo has worked at the University since 2014, having previously worked as People and OD Partner for Alliance Manchester Business School, and as Lead People and OD Partner for Transformation Programmes. Prior to joining the University, she worked in People & OD roles at Jaguar Land Rover, and Transport for Greater Manchester. 
 
Jo is an alumni of the University of Manchester, with a degree in Business Studies and a post graduate diploma in Human Resource Management. Jo is a chartered member of the CIPD and a qualified coach.
 
Jo lives in Chorlton with her partner and young daughter, and outside of work loves spending time with friends, eating out, reading, walking, and supporting the local football team West Didsbury & Chorlton FC.

Sarah March, Head of People & OD, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Sarah March, Head of People & OD, Faculty of Science and Engineering

Tracy Pinner, Head of People and OD Operations

Tracy joined the University in November 2019 as Head of People & OD Operations and is responsible for all centrally based People & OD Operations of the University including Recruitment, Apprenticeships, Payroll, Systems, Employment Services, Global Mobility, Employment Policy, Job Evaluation, Benefits, and Reward.

In December 2021, Tracy’s remit expanded to include leading the People & OD Transformation Programme, an innovative £30m programme of improvement initiatives.

Tracy has an MSc in Human Resource Management and is currently upgrading to Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.

With an excess of 20 years of experience working within large and complex Human Resource functions, Tracy has a wealth of business experience across various sectors including East Lancashire NHS Trust, North West Development Agency, Astra Zeneca, and Royal London.

Rachael McGraw, Head of Colleague Experience

Rachael leads on the University’s employee engagement approach which is focused on the five engagement themes of vision and values; inspiring leadership; engaging communications; learning and development and providing a first-class employee experience.

After graduating with a degree in Geography from the University of Leeds, Rachael trained as a journalist before beginning her career in public relations and event management. As a consultant, she worked with clients including Harvester Restaurants, Vimto, WKD, Sport England and Microsoft.

Whilst Rachael is a relative newcomer to the Directorate (joining in 2020) she began her career at our University in 2001 working across a range of roles in media relations and internal communications. In 2014 she was appointed as the University’s first Head of Communications before moving to a secondment as Head of Colleague Engagement.

Rachael has led a number of high profile projects at our University including the engagement programme which led to the creation of the University’s vision and strategic plan Our future; engaging more than 800 colleagues in uncovering our University’s values;a range of staff listening projects including the Staff Survey between 2013-2022 and is a lead member of the Professional Services hybrid working project team.

Teams she has led have won a range of awards including Chartered Institute of Public Relations Pride awards for the Staff Survey, ESOF 2016 and the Magazine.

Outside of work Rachael is mum to two teenagers. She is an active member of Glossopdale Community Defibrillators - a voluntary group raising funding for, and awareness of, life-saving defibrillators in her home town of Glossop. She is also a Girl Guiding volunteer and helps out at a local Brownie unit. In her ‘spare time’ she enjoys walking and birdwatching in the beautiful Peak District, baking and yoga.

 

 

Helen Ashley, Director of Learning and Organisational Development

Helen Ashley is Director of Learning and Organisational Development . Helen is an experienced People and OD leader with a background in Healthcare, International Higher Education, and Science Publishing sectors. With a focus on evidence-based performance improvement and transformational leadership, her areas of excellence are designing and implementing workforce and OD strategies, client-led service improvement, and leadership of organisational change through cooperation, collaboration and staff engagement.

She is a qualified coach and remains research active in the field of organisational culture. She is a Fellow of CIPD, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and has a Masters Degree in Education. On a personal note, Helen lives in Cheshire with her husband, three children and an adorable pooch called Cookie. She is a keen egg-chaser (far more watching than playing these days) and supports the England Cricket Team through thick and thin. 

Jac Dennington, Head of Workforce Planning

Jac Dennington is Head of Workforce Planning

Ash Field, Head of Pensions

Ash joined the University in September 2021 as Head of Pensions. Before joining he worked for a large private sector company for 9 years, and prior to that worked for an environmental charity based in the North West. His main responsibilities include leading on pension matters for the University across all its schemes ensuring compliance with relevant legislation. He also acts as Company Secretary for the University of Manchester Superannuation Scheme (UMSS), interacting closely with the Trustee and their advisers, and taking lead responsibility for the provision of administrative and governance support.

He is a Fellow of the Pensions Management Institute, sits on a number of industry working committees, and acts as a pension Trustee for his former company. Outside of work, Ash spends most of his time being kept busy by his two young daughters, and when time does allow is a keen runner and occasional board game player. Originally from Torquay in Devon, he now lives in Sheffield having moved there to study 20 years ago and never got around to leaving.

Sara Sawicki, Employment Solicitor

Sara has worked for the University since 2015, as an employment solicitor in the Directorate of Legal Affairs and Board Secretariat.   
Prior to joining the University, Sara had 18 years of experience working as an employment solicitor for Eversheds and Pinsent Masons, latterly as partner and head of the Manchester employment team at Pinsent Masons. 
 
Whilst in private practice, Sara worked for both private sector and public sector clients. She particularly enjoyed the challenge and complexity of the work for HE clients and therefore jumped at the opportunity to work at and be part of the University of Manchester.  
Sara works closely with the Directorate of P&OD, providing advice on all aspects of employment law. She also supports a range of P&OD initiatives and projects.  

When not at work, Sara can often be found hiding behind a locked door in the bathroom; sometimes in the park, beating her sons at football (she’s still very proud of being the top goal scorer at the Chester College of Law in 1992 having scored a grand total of 3 goals); trying to relive her youth by going to watch indie bands and Rick Astley; and watching mindless telly in her pyjamas. 

Dave Povey, Programme Manager

 Dave joined the University in March 2022 as Senior Programme Manager for the P&OD Transformation programme. 

Dave has a Law Degree and post graduate qualifications in Human Resources and Project/Change Management. Dave is has over 30 years’ experience in delivering large and complex change programmes from a ‘People’ perspective. He spent 17 years at the Co-operative and, as a member of their HR Leadership Team, was responsible for HR Strategy and Planning. Since leaving, he has delivered both People and Business Change in a wide variety of industries including Retail, Nuclear and Financial Services. He also spent a short time at Leeds University as People Change Lead on their Student Lifecycle Programme.
 

Helen Brewis, Head of Wellbeing

Helen Brewis is Head of Wellbeing for our University staff and joined us in August 2022. Helen is an experienced Chartered Occupational Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. She has over 20 years’ experience of supporting individuals, teams and organisations to thrive at work.

Helen’s career has included roles at DXC Technology, Department of Work and Pensions, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service / GMCA and Robertson Cooper (workplace wellbeing consultancy). In her consultancy work she has worked with a range of clients (including GSK, Publicis, Mace, DfE, the NHS and a number of HEIs and sporting governing bodies), supporting them with implementing wellbeing strategies, measuring wellbeing and developing their employees and leaders. Helen uses an evidence-based approach to inform her practice. She is a qualified coach and trained in a range of techniques including motivational interviewing and the solution focused approach.

Helen enjoys her cycle commute to the University and has joined a staff netball team (although she’s not convinced she still knows how to play!). Outside of work, family life is busy with three children and a dog and as much tennis she can fit in. And, in quieter moments, Helen enjoys getting lost in a good book.