Nikos Lambridis of Management Centre Europe, shares his experiences of working in HR to date, which includes an 8-year HR and training career with Vodafone.
What’s your current job role?
My new role is two-dimensional: I am the Representative of MCE in Greece, a European provider of business training and development, with the primary focus to increase the penetration and establish the brand to a lot more companies. My second role is to teach management courses for MCE – I have been a certified faculty member since 2001. People management and coaching skills are essential for these roles.
What did you do before this job?
I was Sales & Marketing Director for Informix Software Inc, the 2nd largest Software company in the world. My first appointment, as a Country Manager in Germany, involved hiring, developing, training and coaching 251 people in 6 capitals of Europe – a difficult goal to achieve when having to deal with at least 8 different national cultures and 3 company cultures.
My next appointment was a Director of European Operations for a client of Informix, ADM Inc, also in Germany. There my task was to analyse, debrief, and deliver training to all NATO and US military bases throughout Europe. It was an extraordinary task – to understand the military culture the American way, before G. Bush Jr!
Finally, when the Gulf war started in 1990, I moved to Greece where I had an 8-year career in HR and training for Vodafone. My tasks there were to recruit, train and develop people, establish a team building process through EFQM, design and develop a Telecomm Corporate University, develop 2 training centres and establish an intranet-based e-learning culture. I worked closely with the Greek Open University.
Describe your route into HR?
It all began when I was teaching university classes in San Francisco, USA, where I discovered the pleasure of being in contact with and caring for the needs of people from various cultures and backgrounds. Later on I found myself teaching and providing support to my sales force both in Europe and in Greece. When Vodafone asked me to take on the position of HR and training, I was ready psychologically, but unprepared. MCE was my source of knowledge and inspiration – I have found the tools to use that have helped me to build a successful career and life.
Did you always want to work in HR?
No, I had no idea, I was into sales.
What would you say has been the most significant event in your career to date?
My transfer to Germany where I learned to develop people from 12 different countries, in order to develop 12 different distribution centres. NOT the other way around! My experience in football – I was the captain of the Greek Olympic team – told me that if the “players” are good and play for the common goal, to win, then that is how you win, not because of the name, the stadium, or the reputation…
How do you think the role of HR has changed since you began your HR career?
It has made a significant progress. However, in many corporations I still find that HR Directors are considered to be second rate staff, playing a supportive role, and without contribution to the strategy at all. Of course, that is attributed largely, in my opinion, to the HR people themselves. They must go out and demand their new role in the year 2003.
What single thing would improve your working life?
Teamwork…that is the only way to overcome the 120% performance that organisations demand from us. That is the only way I can get my life back. Create teams, organise them and empower them!
What’s your favourite part of the HR Zone site?
The newswire alerts.
Have you made contact with any other members?
Not yet.
Do you have any advice for those looking to embark on a career in HR?
A career in HR is not as easy or as fun as it looks. In fact it is soul consuming. I would advise my close friends or sons to go in that direction only if they love it, and if they can do it with passion. Without passion it is like Greek salad without olive oil!
If you’re willing to share your experiences of working in HR to date with other members, we’d like to hear from you
– e-mail us to receive a copy of this questionnaire.
Previous ‘Introducing…’ features:
David Kelly, Head of Development and Training for Aventis
Jenny Kevan, UK HR Manager for Abbott Laboratories
William Martin, HR Manager, Telewest Broadband
Craig Truter, HR Manager, The Body Shop
Martin Stockton, HR Transformation Leader, Towers Perrin
Nick Heap, Consultant, New Directions
Crispin Garden-Webster, HR Specialist, Asian Development Bank
Sandra Walsh, HR Delivers
Carole Leslie, Director, IT Learning Ltd
Shaun Dunphy, Project and Process Manager, EMEA HR Service Centre for MCI
Debra Artlett, HR Officer, NGJ
Dianne Miles, HR Manager, Rollalong Ltd
Jacqui Mann, HR Manager, Integra NeuroSciences
Isabella Montgomery, Human Resources Officer at The new Housing Association
Iain Young, Head of HR for Cofathec Heatsave
