After developing a global career in the US and UK, Peter McMahon recently returned to Australia to join Blue Care as HRD. He tells us what makes a great HR professional and why he'd have Malala Yousafzai round for dinner.
Having worked internationally in Washington DC and the UK, Peter McMahon recently joined Blue Care as Director of Human Resources.
How would you sum up HR professionals in two words?
Great HR professionals are: Dynamic and agile.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Leadership is what happens when you are not there…
What are some of the biggest challenges that HR deals with?
One of the biggest challenges for HR is being able to deliver added value through being a true business partner, and not getting stuck “doing” the people business for managers.
What are some of the most interesting and challenging aspects of your day-to-day role?
Ensuring that I give equal time and focus to the many exciting and complex projects we are undertaking in delivering our workforce strategy.
How do you see the role of HR changing in the future?
HR will need to become far more focused on the future than ever before as our current workforce ages and our available workforce diminishes, making the demand for talent ever greater.
What breakfast meal do you start your day with?
A bowl of fruit, Muesli and Keffir or a protein shake!
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive and excluding family and friends, who would that be and why?
Nelson Mandela – to be inspired from his patience, vision and determination.
Malala Yousafzai – to learn from her amazing courage.
Warren Buffet – to improve my finances.
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t in HR I’d be…
A helicopter pilot!
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5 Minutes with… Anne Moore, HR leader and CEO of PlanDo Human Capital
How would you sum up HR professionals in two words?
Great HR professionals are: Dynamic and agile.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Leadership is what happens when you are not there…
What are some of the biggest challenges that HR deals with?
One of the biggest challenges for HR is being able to deliver added value through being a true business partner, and not getting stuck “doing” the people business for managers.
What are some of the most interesting and challenging aspects of your day-to-day role?
Ensuring that I give equal time and focus to the many exciting and complex projects we are undertaking in delivering our workforce strategy.
How do you see the role of HR changing in the future?
HR will need to become far more focused on the future than ever before as our current workforce ages and our available workforce diminishes, making the demand for talent ever greater.
What breakfast meal do you start your day with?
A bowl of fruit, Muesli and Keffir or a protein shake!
If you could invite three people to dinner, dead or alive and excluding family and friends, who would that be and why?
Nelson Mandela – to be inspired from his patience, vision and determination.
Malala Yousafzai – to learn from her amazing courage.
Warren Buffet – to improve my finances.
Complete this sentence: If I wasn’t in HR I’d be…
A helicopter pilot!
You might also like:
5 minutes with… Kelly Rafferty, HR Operations Lead, Human Resources, Telstra Retail
5 minutes with... Ariane Aeschimann-Forbes, HR director, Xchanging Australia
5 Minutes with… Anne Moore, HR leader and CEO of PlanDo Human Capital