As party openers go, “I work in HR” isn’t a line that grabs much interest, according to Patrick Bermingham. People’s eyes glaze over, they start glancing over your shoulder, and before long they wander off to find someone more enticing. Bermingham, however, has another line, if he is minded to seek attention: “I work at McLaren.” Now that has most people desperate for details. Of course, it’s fast cars and Lewis Hamilton that they all want to hear about, not HR management. Bermingham can oblige with stories about the new MP4-24 (Formula One) car, the planned new range of McLaren high-performance sports cars and how Lewis was in the canteen queue only the other day, chatting to staff. But McLaren’s first HR director has an equally fascinating tale to tell about the Formula One group revamping its approach to engagement, development and succession planning.