Why HR leaders should step outside their comfort zone

Lisa Christy has worked on international HR in countries as diverse as Brazil, Germany, Russia and the US all at once

BY HRD 14 Mar 2018

Lisa Christy, regional APAC director, human resources at Wolters Kluwer, talks to HRD about her journey from working at a country fish and chips shop to succeeding as the head of HR at a major global company.

1984 – Lays the foundations

Lisa Christy credits her first job – in a country fish and chip shop, where the teenage golf obsessive earned $3 an hour to buy her own set of clubs – as setting her up for the career to come.

“It provided me with a great foundation: I learnt about hard work, customer service excellence and leadership. I found myself managing the shop, training staff and making improvements. The experience gave me early-developed behaviours and values that have been fundamental throughout my career.”

1993 – Finds human resources

Christy returned from several years working in Europe post-university to a market downturn. She worked seven days a week for almost two years, handling an admin job at Sydney University (her alma mater) during the day while managing the restaurant she had worked in as a student at night. The day job, with its touch of HR, piqued Christy’s interest and inspired her to begin a Master’s in Industrial Relations with her eye on a career in the field.

1995 – Takes first role in tech

Christy took her first HR role in IT at a pivotal time in tech development, driven by her passion for innovative, fast-paced environments in companies that were changing the status quo. She also, crucially, found two role models whose success she sought to emulate.

“I remember thinking, if I could learn the best of what each mentor displayed, that would be an amazing combination. I also very consciously thought, ‘One day I want that job!’”

1997 – Swims, doesn’t sink

Christy looks back on her time as the HR person in a tech start-up as a crucible of her development; it helped her learn to address challenges spanning all aspects of the field.

“It was sink or swim. I was completely out of my depth, but I was able to learn quickly. Since then I’ve managed professionals across recruiting, organisation development, compensation, business partnering, HR operations, health and safety, etc, and really ‘get’ what they were doing”

2004 – Goes international

A new dimension was added to Christy’s career when she joined Gartner and supplemented her experience across the Asia-Pacific region with a role involving global responsibilities.

“This was my first exposure to international HR. I was dealing with issues in countries such as Brazil, Germany, Russia and the US all at once. It was an amazing opportunity to collaborate globally and work across so many diverse cultures”

2012 – Launches many firsts

Christy’s five years at SAP were marked by the introduction of many firsts – the Pride initiative, the Autism@Work program, and gender diversity initiatives that culminated in the achievement of Employer of Choice for Gender Equality status.

“SAP is one of my biggest success stories. My previous learnings and experience positioned me well to transform the HR function. Our end-to-end talent strategy and HR delivery were integral to the company’s success over that time – I joke that I built the HR dream team”

2017 – Focuses on goals

Joining Wolters Kluwer, another successful global company, has given Lisa the opportunity to work on what she calls “a 200-year-old company with the heart of a start-up”.

“The company has transformed on every level, and it’s amazing to be part of a truly global company. I’m on my next journey at Wolters Kluwer of building our strategy, and evolving our organisation and culture. It’s exciting times!”