Our Associates
Gary Ward
Principle Associate for Kraft HR Consulting
Gary works as our Principle Associate - Employee Relations and co-ordinates the activities of our other specialist employee relations associates whilst carrying his own case load focused primarily around workplace investigations and change management.
Gary is an experienced employment relations professional, with extensive knowledge of Human Resources and the trade union movement, having worked within a large local authority, and the private and voluntary sector.
Gary was elected to the post of East Midlands Regional Convenor for UNISON from 2008-2013, and elected as a Branch Secretary from 2006-2013, dealing with multiple complex projects including Single Status, equal pay claims, redundancies & restructures, in addition to individual employee relations disputes.
Gary is quietly assertive, calm and assured, and quickly builds strong relationships enabling both trust and confidence.
Gary loves nothing more than to immerse himself in a workplace Investigation and get to the bottom of issues that other people find daunting. He is an excellent Investigator and receives consistently outstanding feedback from the many clients that he has worked for.
Qualifications
- TUC Employment Law Diploma.
- A variety of courses run by UNISON, Thompson's solicitors, and Nottingham City Council across a 13-year period, including "Advanced Representation", "Equal Pay", "GLPC Scheme", "Discrimination Law" and "Domestic Violence".
- Attended UNISON's National Leadership School 2011, Service Group Executive courses 2010, Branch Secretary Weekend's 2006.
Key Skills & Achievements
- Able to build and develop strong relationships with colleagues at all levels, be they politicians, chief executives, trade union officials, employees or lawyers.
- Extremely good written and communication skills, able to offer clear and pragmatic advice in the effective management of disputes.
- Ability to "problem solve", appraise options that are available, identify and manage risk, make difficult decisions, and defend those subsequently made.
- A strong advocate, able to challenge and guide as applicable, whether in person or in writing.
- Represented individual Trade Union members for 13 years in disciplinary, grievance and harassment and discrimination hearings, many of which have been lengthy and complex, and in areas involving highly emotive subject matters including alleged child abuse and domestic violence.
- Negotiated many compromise agreements with employers where both sides had become entrenched in battles helping neither side long term.
- As the Regional Convenor, managed complex and sensitive relationships with Branches in order to deliver national policy.
Nicola Rabbitt
HR Consultant
Nic is a down to earth generalist HR professional with 20 plus years' experience. Nic's style enables her to quickly win the confidence of others and gain a real understanding of the situation. Clients report feeling at ease and reassured that their people matters' will be dealt with sensitively and efficiently, with minimal business disruption. Helping clients and their workforce achieve their maximum potential is at the heart of Nic's approach.
Having spent her career in the private and public sector, Nic is at home in FTSE100 business through to small the medium enterprises. Her special interests are:
- Employee relations and investigations
- Organisational change programmes
- Aligning people strategies to organisational vision
- Staff engagement
Andrew Freeman
Mediator
Andy has over 20 years experience as an official at UNISON, including 15 years as a Regional Officer, where he was involved in complex employee relations issues. He developed a passion for Mediation and became an ACAS accredited Mediator in order to support early resolution of issues in the workplace. His ability to build trust and rapport and remain impartial make him an ideal Mediator and he also delivers training in Conflict Management. He understands the need for the strictest confidentiality and is able to facilitate individual and group mediation and conflict resolution.
Andy particularly enjoys working with clients in public services, like the NHS, Universities and Local Government.
Adrian Berwick
Adrian is an MC IPD qualified Human Resources professional with a generalist HR background having given support on issues ranging from input on strategic planning through to practical advice on Employee Relations issues including TUPE, Ill health management, Recruitment, Remuneration and Benefits, Terms and Conditions and Pensions.
Background
Adrian has operated in HR roles in various multi-site private sector businesses. His experience primarily includes senior level operational roles as well as a secondment to an Operations Director role managing a multi-site business unit. Having always worked in private sector organisations, he can bring considerable commercial focus and awareness to any HR issue.
Adrian's experience has brought him into contact with numerous sectors including Property and Facilities Management, Construction, Distribution and Logistics, Retail, Engineering and Production/Manufacturing spanning Private Equity and PLC. He also has experience and insight into the HR issues associated with public sector and PFI/PPP arrangements.
HR Experience
Adrian has extensive Employee Relations experience handling large caseloads of Disciplinary, Grievance, Performance, Ill health and Dismissal issues in both unionised and non-union environments as well as senior management exit arrangements. He has project managed large scale re-organisation and re-structuring exercises, TUPE transfers and managed settlement agreement negotiations.
Adrian has developed HR strategies, policies and processes to fit business goals and worked closely with CEOs and MD's to restructure senior teams. He is also experienced in managing pay reviews, developing bonus and commission arrangements and project managed moves to external Payroll Bureau services. In addition, Adrian has been involved in exercises related to talent management and people development, career development programmes, mentoring and HR skills training.
He has also been involved in all HR aspects associated with the sale, purchase and acquisition of businesses including due diligence.
