After university I had several graduate postings in government. These prepared me for my first few jobs in transport policy, but I later moved into HR because I was fascinated by what makes people tick. I was also ready to stop pandering to the whims of ministers.

My biggest career highlight was moving to Oxfam after 20 years in the civil service. It was a huge challenge because, as with elsewhere in the charity sector at the time, HR had long been neglected. Starting from a low base, there’s so much to achieve.