The business case for change

Involving employees in companies’ strategic development

Declining new finance and insurance contract volumes, negligible profits and a cost income ratio of 83 per cent were the key performance indicators that greeted the newly appointed Head of HR, its Managing Director and the wider management team of Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) UK Ltd, at the beginning of 2003. The task of HR was to work with the team to create a commercially focused personnel strategy that reflected the changing needs of the market and that aimed to support the business in reversing this performance trend over the next three years. HR’s first role in supporting UK Senior Management was to help them to prioritise their leadership role in terms of setting the direction and strategy that would help drive future long term business success.
 

Janet Ogundele

Currently Head of Human Resources at Volkswagen Financial Services UK, Janet Ogundele has 18 years of HR management experience, operating across a range of industry sectors including pharmaceutical, retail and financial services. She is a senior member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.