Freehills appoints leading HR practitioner to National Director role
05 November 2007Freehills announced today that it has appointed highly regarded and experienced human resources professional, Gareth Bennett, to the position of Director, Human Resources.
As a leading human resources (HR) specialist, Mr Bennett brings an extensive background and strong track record in HR to the firm, with significant strengths in the areas of HR strategy, leadership development, change management and organisational design.
Mr Bennett’s extensive HR experience has been gained in the Australian and International energy, financial services, and manufacturing, sales and marketing sectors; he has also worked in local and central Government sectors in the United Kingdom.
In discussing his appointment, Mr Bennett said he was excited to be joining Freehills and was looking forward to meeting the high calibre people he will be working with. “Freehills is well known for being an open and engaging workplace, with a culture which values and promotes teamwork & excellence, so I am genuinely looking forward to being part of that culture and to working with Freehills’ talented and dedicated people,” he said.
In making the announcement today, Freehills’ Managing Partner, Peter Butler, to whom the position reports, said he is pleased and excited to be welcoming such an experienced and passionate HR professional to the firm in this high impact position.
“This role is really integral to the firm’s success: our people are central to our value proposition. We conducted an extensive international search to find the very best person for the job, and I am thrilled to have someone of Gareth’s calibre joining us,” said Mr Butler.
“Upon meeting and getting to know Gareth, what struck me in particular is his absolute passion and focus on people – as individuals, as professionals, and as the most important element in the sustainable success of our business”, he continued.
The new appointment has been facilitated by the imminent departure of Adele Brady, who has been with the firm for 16 years and has held the position of Director of HR for seven of those years.
Adele’s decision to resign from the firm is driven by a desire to turn her attention to the next phase of her life and career. She leaves behind a strong legacy of a people-focused culture, underpinned by an array of modern and sophisticated learning, support and development tools for Freehills’ people.
Gareth will take up the role on 5 November 2007 and will be based in the Sydney office.
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