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I studied between the years of 1978 and 1982 in Bradford University for a
B.A Hons in French and German.
I ended up speaking French, German and Urdu. Bradford had a high Pakistani population, one of whom was my landlord in my final years who, in addition to collecting the rent,
often brought me spicy specialities for me to taste, that his wife had prepared .
I joined Procter and Gamble in 1982, in Manchester Plant, as Distribution Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Here began a whole album of songs, many of which I continue to sing today
…. Songs of leadership, songs of managing people, songs of project management and a whole range of professional songs in all aspects of the Supply Chain Management - logistics and distribution, purchasing on a European-wide scale, national planning operations, customer service management and interface with all the retail grocery chains in the UK, plant management and many professional processes and projects.
…. Songs of personal growth and discovery, of interpersonal skills courses, professional courses, performance feedback, interface with new worlds, management skills that I retain to this day, a roller-coaster of experience and, modestly, achievement …
I also became expert in a number of other things during this 8 year period of discovery, challenge and excitement:
First, moving house, as during this period I held 6 different roles and lived in 5 different places. Anyone looking for tips in moving house, just let me know …
Second, the game of bridge … during my stay in Newcastle upon Tyne, I was fortunate to be invited to join group of bridge beginners … and from there I got hooked on the game… more about the fascination of bridge in the Fun songs page…..
Third, life in Belgium …most people thought Belgium was a city in Holland …. But I came to know Belgium, in particular Brussels, as a vibrant country, small enough to find your way around, big enough to offer the pursuit of any interest… I loved Brussels, loved my life there, easy, multi-national, full of croissants ....
But there's more: One of the most valuable songs I learnt to sing during this period was the song of Personal Effectiveness. I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop called the Seven Basic Habits of Highly Effective People which was so impactful that it truly changed my life. Anyone who has not been exposed to the works of Dr Stephen R Covey and his teachings has my strong recommendation (for what it's worth!) to go get exposed! The natural laws, the 7 habits, the insights, the clarity, the optimism of Covey hit me like Wonderland hit Alice.
The thought that I control my destiny, that I could plan it, and that I could create my dream remains powerful.
From this point, I started to plan my life. To this day, every New Year, I review my life purpose, missions and goals and use this as the basis for annual, monthly and weekly life planning. To this day, every day, I am inspired anew by some element of the Covey teachings.
In 1990, I immigrated to Israel, the realisation of a dream, and worked for a while in a private Company, founding and managing a business unit serving the Cosmetic industry. Irreverent though it may be, the most important thing I learnt here was that the single most important and effective cosmetic ingredient is WATER ... glug glug glug ....
In 1995 I became independent, working as a consultant …. until Unilever arrived …..with a flourishing entrance into the Israeli market and offered me the job of Human Resources Director for the Israeli business at the beginning of 1997.
At Unilever, serving as HR Director between 1997 and 2005, and for a 6 month period managing a strategic project in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility in 2005, I learnt so many songs that my vocal chords took on totally new proportions ….
Professional songs in the field of Human Resources applying world-wide best practice in organisation development, recruitment, people development, career management, remuneration, labour laws and industrial relations, global HR practices, diversity, social responsibility and community involvement, ethics, internal communications ... just about anything that fits under the wide umbrella of HR.
And as a member of the local Unilever Board, I developed more songs in business strategy and execution, business leadership, mergers and acquisitions, and application of organisational processes.
During this time I discovered myself … more of my natural talents and passions … and the basic melodies of my future professional direction which included:
Mediation … the amazing world of transformative mediation and the fascinating application of these skills ….
Social Responsibility … the brave new world of how businesses interact with society and all stakeholders for the advancement of positive social change .. WOW … what a song …
Coaching .. The way to support others in singing their song ….
Strategy Execution and the discipline of process ……
And now, as I write …………
I am proud to have been appointed to the role of General Manager of the Israeli Society of Human Resources
(more about this at www.ishrm.org.il)
AND
I open a new professional songbook …..
the song of potential one ………
my vision for a modest contribution to social change through a business which touches lives, dreams and positive interactions with ourselves and our worlds
(more about this at www.potential-one.com)
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