Five minutes with: BGL's new Capability Director

Jo Moxon joins financial group BGL from ASOS.com and has been appointed to harness the full potential of the company's people. 

What do you think is the key to being a successful HR Director?
Creating really strong and valuable relationship across the whole of the business and being able to understand and speak the language of the business. Understanding the whole business cycle and value chain are critical components in being a really successful HRD.

What are some of the unique HR challenges BGL face?
The challenges around attracting, engaging and developing top talent at BGL is no different in many respects to those affecting other progressive organisations. Part of the uniqueness for BGL however is building capability in countries where our brands are not known and where we are looking to influence consumer behaviour with our products - this means we have to be really on our toes when searching for the right people to help us progress our international journey.

What advice would you give to others looking to get in to similar roles?
Forget the linear career ladder of promotion. Spend time within multiple HR disciplines to really equip yourself with a wide range of skills and experiences. If you have an opportunity to take a secondment into the business, grab it with both hands and learn to love data and the insights this gives you.

How do you think your previous experience helps you in your current role?
Working in different sectors has certainly given me a far richer breadth of experience. I really learned and experienced the value of context - what works like a dream in one organisation can be the biggest flop in another. It stopped me from becoming lazy and simply rolling out the same bag of HR tricks from one role to the next.

What is your favourite part of the job?
Working with a team of professionals who care about what we are creating as much as I do. You just can't beat that feeling.