Original production by Thrive HR Exchange
Hosted by Matthew Chapman, Co-creator of Thrive HR Exchange and Founder of ChapmanCG

Culture, leadership and the future of work are three of the main pillars of employee experience and current hot topics with HR leaders globally.

As we head into 2021, it’s more important than ever that leaders adapt to the ‘new normal’ ways of leading and setting the tone for culture.

Alastair, Chief HR Officer of Mediabrands, uncovers his HR playbook with chapters on:

• Adapting leadership style and the ‘sink or swim’ moment

• Global trends across diversity & inclusion and the future of work

• What culture is and how can you influence and measure it

Guest Bio:

Alastair began his professional career in the hotel industry, where he held a number of generalist HR and Management Development roles for companies such as Radisson SAS and Inter-Continental. After 7 years, he opted for a change of scene and moved to the International HQ of PolyGram, later to become Universal Music Group, where he continued to progress his career through a series of HR specialisms over another 7 year period, culminating in his appointment as Head of Talent and Management Development for Universal Music International.

In the firm belief that a broad base of experience makes for a more rounded and balanced approach, he moved sector again to take up an OD project-management role for Barclays’ UK Retail Bank, subsequently ending his time there as Head of HR for Barclays’ UK Contact Centres, their Home Finance, and General Insurance businesses, overseeing HR operations for approximately 7,000 employees.

Alastair joined Interpublic, one of the world’s major advertising groups in 2006, starting his career with IPG in one of their two media divisions (at that time known as Universal McCann) as HR Director, EMEA; he assumed additional EMEA responsibility for the second media division, Initiative, on the formation of Mediabrands late in 2007, which amalgamated all IPG media assets under one roof; subsequently moving into the global Chief HR Officer role in March 2010, supporting the global business and its 12,500 people through a series of major transformational shifts in what has become one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-paced industries today.

Alastair has lived and worked in France, Spain and the USA, but currently lives in South West London with his wife and two teenage children, dividing most of his working time between there and New York, Mediabrands’ Global HQ.