Our CHRO of the Year Awards makes its way to our European Forum to recognize international leadership. Meet our finalists here.
By The Editors
Global HR leaders understand the value that today’s top talent brings to an organization -ideas, risk-taking, and innovation. It is HR’s job to strategically attract and retain those employees while harnessing their talent to drive bottom- line results. And our CHRO of the Year awards recognizes the individuals that are achieving success in such efforts.
These are the current finalists (at press time). The CHRO of the Year finalists will be evaluated across three dimensions to determine the winners:
- The scope of the nominee’s impact on his/her organization/community
- The extent to which the nominee drove this initiative
- The individual reputational or professional risk taken by the nominee.
The winners will be announced at the HRO Today Forum Europe on November 10th in Amsterdam. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Sherif Hanna
Chief People and Compliance Officer
Mobinil
Sherif Hanna is Chief People Officer and
Compliance Officer for Mobinil, a leading mobile-service operator in Egypt with 30 million customers.
Hanna has successfully led the HR team in several key initiatives including implementing an HR business partner model and sponsoring the automation and optimization of key HR process to improve employee satisfaction and productivity.
Jan Cees Marijt
Global Head of Compensation and Benefits and Human Resources Services
JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS
Jan Cees Marijt is the former Vice President of Compensation and Benefits for Stockhold, Sweden- headquartered Sandvik AB, a $10 billion high-tech manufacturer and primarily of tools and tooling systems, engineering firm, with 25,000 employees worldwide. Marijt spearheaded job leveling, streamlined operations to modernise HR delivery, and implemented pay-for-performance across the organisation.
Marijt moved earlier this year to JACOBS DOUWE EGBERTS, an Amsterdam-based multi-billion dollar food and beverage company, perhaps best known as a coffee and tea company founded in 1753.
Joanne Marshall
Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development
University of Bradford
Joanne Marshall is director of HR for West Yorkshire, UK-based University of Bradford, a post she’s held since 2013. During her tenure, she’s rapidly made an impact. Marshall is responsible for the transformation of the HR function, providing operational and strategic support to its business units, including a HR service centre, improving learning and development, and creating and improving occupational health and well- being programmes.
Boele Staal
Integration Architect
TMF Group
Boele Staal is the integration architect for TMF Group, a $414 million, Amsterdam-based financial and professional services firm with 5,500 employees in 100 offices worldwide.
Staal was nominated for spearheading technology-led initiatives with TMF, including identifying technology, implementing products, designing commercial tools, and legal schedules.
It was Staal’s leadership of change that has led to his nomination. He has had a keen focus on customer service by devising high quality solutions that meet business needs. He is responsible for due diligence investigation, workshops, and documentation and solution definition, design and specification.
Oscar Gonzalez Undiano
Human Resources Director
Azkoyen Group
Oscar Gonzalez Undiano is the HR director of Azkoyen Group, a Navarre, Spain-based manufacturer of payment systems, vending machines, and security systems/access control 800 employees in 60 countries. In his role as Human Resources Director, Gonzalez ensures a standardisation of methodologies and information by executing on best practices. He has a strong focus on performance management and professional development.
Gonzalez was nominated for his skills at organisational development and collective bargaining, for his standardisation of methodologies, and his implementation of best practices. All this was done in a time of retrenchment for the company, as the company turned from operating losses to profits.
Galina Vaisband
Vice President, Human Resources
Home Credit and Finance Bank, Russia
Galina Vaisband is Vice President of HR at Home Credit and Finance Bank in Russia, which operates globally. As HR Vice President, Vaisband is responsible for the development and implementation of management strategies. She has executed major reforms for childcare for working parents. Her nomination stems from her work at an Obninsk, Russia facility with 1,145 employees on site and installation of a kindergarten there.
Arne-Christian van der Tang
Senior Vice President Group Human Resources
TomTom
Arne-Christian van der Tang is senior vice-president HR for TomTom, a $1 billion-plus, Amsterdam-based firm that creates navigation, traffic and map products, GPS Sport Watches and fleet management solutions. It has 4,000 employees worldwide.
van der Tang was able to secure significant investments in the HR organisation across the business to execute on large-scale change management. Some of his achievements include a new global employer brand strategy; employee workforce segmentation; a HR service delivery model; a new onboarding platform; and improved global workforce planning.
