Centura Foods

Hiring Context

Centura Foods owns some of the most well-known and best loved brands in Britain's kitchens, including famous names such as Bisto, Paxo, Saxo and Sharwood's sauces, as well as Frank Cooper and Robertson's Jam. Initially, the company was looking for an interim manager to provide cover whilst its own Training and Development Manager was on maternity leave and approached VMA Interim Performers, to provide them with a solution. Following a consultation with Centura Foods, VMA Interim Performers recognised that they needed an interim with Change/OD experience together with a background in Training & Development. VMA Interim Performers presented HR specialist Lesley Kaye who was then recruited on a short-term basis.

The Challenge

Having joined Centura Foods initially to take over the reins of the existing training and development role, it soon became clear to Lesley that there were a number of areas of the business that she felt could benefit from her particular expertise.

Lesley explains: "The initial challenge was to get development much higher up the management agenda, so I had to prove myself and show that development is not just about training courses. This required a lot of influencing and persuasion, which I did by delivering results."

The Approach

With management now well and truly behind her, Lesley began to work on a number of initiatives including a new performance management process, integrated functional development activities, as well as individual coaching and running the annual management conference and senior leadership events.

During the reorganisation, Lesley's skills were much in demand and the development work Lesley had already undertaken was important in helping to reshape the business.

She says the key to successfully meeting her objectives is to "work smarter, be resourceful, and draw on my own experiences". But Lesley believes that it is also vital to convince the entire business, from senior management to junior staff, of the need for a strong and effective development strategy aligned with business goals.

Assignment Outcomes

Despite still being in an interim role, during the restructure Lesley took on the role of Head of Organisation and Management Development, a job that gives her much greater scope.

"There has been a lot of change in a very short time," Lesley adds, "With my new role I have a much bigger set of challenges, but I have greater support from management and staff."

Now with a wide-ranging remit that takes in some of the most important parts of the business, Lesley is working on projects that include a new communications strategy, organisational development process, talent management and employer branding.