People Behind the Business - HR

Anna Collins, Vice President, People and Culture at Ovarro

What does your typical day at work look like?

At the moment, I’m not sure there is a typical day, but there are a lot of calls. They vary greatly from regular team catch ups and Covid-19 updates, to organisation design and development planning. They are mainly about improving our People agenda, but it’s a real mixed bag and the variety keeps it interesting 

How many people do you think you speak to during the day?

It depends on the number of people on each call, but I’d say on average between 15 – 20 people each day.

What do you aim to accomplish each day?

A good portion of my to do list, but more importantly it’s about getting to the end of a day and feeling like we achieved something. Even when it’s the little things, we’re still moving forward

What three words would you say describes your role?

This is the type of question that tends to open a lot of debate and everyone will have their own view! Right now? Positive Accountability, Conscience and Change Agent.

What has been your most memorable work moment so far?

It’s been a busy 18 months with a lot of investment in the People agenda, but I’d have to say the launch of our Company Values at the end of 2019 is my most memorable moment. This involved so many people, ideas and stories from across the business, and seeing them come to life and become a central part of how we shape and develop our culture is a true reflection of all the amazing people we have here at Ovarro. 

What’s your favourite thing about the job?

Shaping the future and making a difference. The last 18 months has seen a number of changes in how we support, manage and develop our people, but looking ahead at our business and people strategy and seeing the enthusiasm to continue to invest in our teams, is what makes it exciting and easy to get up in a morning

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?  

Spending time with my Family, either going to the Cinema or out for a meal (or both). It is fair to say the lockdown has made this a lot more challenging, but its been a great opportunity to get inventive with cooking and introduce the kids to some movie “classics” (My husband does not always agree with my view on a ‘classic’ though)

If you could go anywhere on holiday, where would it be?

Maldives with the family. We’ve been once before for a special birthday and it was so relaxing, I’d love to go again!

What gets you on your Soapbox? (i.e. what annoys you/issues that you are passionate about)

I try to avoid a soapbox, but it can turn up when the phrase “this is how we have always done it” pops up.