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Julia King
Head of HR, Whitecroft Lighting
Whitecroft Lighting’s new Head of HR aims to be an ‘organisational influencer’ to achieve a more diverse and inclusive workplace...
Julia King
Head of HR, Whitecroft Lighting
Whitecroft Lighting’s new Head of HR aims to be an ‘organisational influencer’ to achieve a more diverse and inclusive workplace...
The career path of Julia King, Head of HR at Whitecroft Lighting, is unlike that of many others in the people profession.
Having spent 15 years managing flagship stores for USC and Adidas, King swapped the shop floor for a corporate post in 2011, before spending over a decade at the helm of Adidas’ retail HR function for Northern Europe.
Although Whitecroft Lighting may not be quite as well-known as the sportswear maker, the UK’s largest commercial lighting manufacturer represents an exciting opportunity for King to drive company success through people strategy.
With a clear mandate of attracting more diverse talent into the business, particularly within engineering and managerial roles, King speaks to HR Grapevine about her aim to create more pathways for existing female employees to thrive and progress within the company—and to drive strategic company success by fostering an inclusive environment for all.
Tell us about your role at Whitecroft. What attracted you to the post?
As a member of the Senior Leadership team, my role is to be the people and culture strategist and an organisational influencer in all people-related topics. This includes developing and implementing Whitecroft’s people strategy to ensure we have an inclusive and aspirational workplace for everyone in the business.
One of the first things that struck me about Whitecroft was the authenticity and warm welcome from the Senior Leadership Team and the visibility of its brand values: ‘Committed Together,' 'Aim Higher,' and 'Curious Creators.' They were elements that I sensed in all of my interactions with employees at my interviews. I was also very attracted to the social impact, safety, and sustainability focus that the business has. And I thought its partnerships within the local community reflected real substance.
In terms of the role, I wanted to join a company that was open to change where I could truly make a positive difference and enable the future success of the business through its employees. Whitecroft ticked all of those boxes.
I want employees to join and stay. To have an aspirational career path. But to do that, we must create the right environment. Done right, it can help drive our overall success
What would you have to achieve in 2025 for the year to be a success?
As we move into 2025, my priority is to embed the newly created People and Culture team. Our move to a new purpose-built space will improve visibility and collaboration across the business. It’s crucial that we are seen as a visible, people-focused function enabling the business to achieve its ambitious goals.
Developing leadership capabilities and decision-making autonomy is another focus to strengthen our one-team, winning-together culture.
We’re empowering ‘Our People’ through career-focused learning, performance management, inclusive leadership, and ED&I. These efforts aim to boost satisfaction, engagement, and retention, including recruiting internally, where possible, to support career progression.
We’ll also drive ‘Our Customers’ and ‘Our Community’ values, focusing on B2B programmes and partnerships with universities, colleges, and schools. This includes our already successful apprenticeship programme, T-level placements, work experience, and bespoke initiatives to support early careers and brand engagement.
Why is expanding the company's focus on ED&I so important?
There are several factors that make ED&I so important from a business standpoint. Firstly, any successful business knows it’s only as strong as its team. Having a workforce comprised of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, ideas, skills, and strengths, ensures a dynamic, innovative, and resilient team capable of driving success.
Take neurodivergent employees as an example. There are so many positive strengths and extraordinary skills that come from being neurodivergent. My experience of collaborating with employees who have Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Dyslexia, etc is incredibly positive if you set the working environment up correctly. With the right support and framework, employees will thrive and succeed, bringing their unique talents to each task. Who wouldn’t want brilliant employees who are complex problem-solvers, highly creative, hyper-focused, and compassionate within their team?
All employees should feel that they matter and that their contribution is recognised. I want employees to join and stay. To have an aspirational career path. But to do that, we must create the right environment. Done right, it can help drive our overall success.
