An enthusiastic, driven and motivational senior lecturer and Human Resource Management (HRM) consultant with proven flexibility to support individuals in an inclusive learning environment, Mary is a recognised leader in forging partnerships and links within the business community. She is skillful in leading change for both individuals and teams. Within the learning environment Mary demonstrates she is a creative course developer with a reputation for an innovative approach to achieving outcomes on work-related issues. She is an excellent communicator at all levels and a champion for diversity and equality issues within the workplace.
One of Mary’s greatest strengths is her ability to bring both the theoretical perspective of HR and the added value of her workplace experience in leadership, organisational development and HRM. Her portfolio is extensive and includes: absence and performance; change management; coaching; diversity and equality; emotional intelligence, business planning and all aspects of team building and leadership. In previous roles she has led on designing and delivering leadership programmes for managers at all levels. Within HR, Mary has led on projects such as: the development of a core behavioural competency framework for the entire work force of a local authority; contributed to the reduction of absence from 8.7% to 4.5% in a financial year by developing and delivering an absence management toolkit and introducing a policy to support individuals with dyslexia (which was later shared with other organisations).
Within her role at Southampton Solent University Mary has demonstrated her skills as a course leader and led one team to achieve level one (high confidence) Banding on CIPD Intermediate Diploma in HRM which had previously been level three (limited confidence). Part of her remit has been to lead on the MBA Leadership units for enhanced leadership and leading for innovation and change. Mary is a keen advocate of appreciative inquiry both as a research and change management method. She is an individual who seeks to promote diversity and equality as the norm and leads on workshops to promote engagement on issues such as disability, race, age and sexual discrimination. Part of her approach has been to actively lead and support groups seeking to share information through networking opportunities.
In addition to her work at Southampton Solent University, Mary lectures for the Chartered Management Institute qualifications for leadership and management development at both levels five and seven, is an academic mentor and lectures at the University of Portsmouth.
Mary is an active committee member of Southampton CIPD, a governor for a local academy, a charity fundraiser and this year is Mayoress of Southampton whilst her husband is Mayor of Southampton.