The HR World speaks to industry leaders about their careers and life – what advice would they pass on and what wisdom brought them to where they are now.
For the past 20 years Steve Pratt has been working as an interim manager at HR Director level.
29 April 2024
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Steve Pratt, Interim Director of HR
For the past 20 years Steve Pratt has been working as an interim manager at HR Director level. With a career that began with HR roles for a variety of businesses – first in the FMCG sector for companies such as Nestle, Ross and Youngs Seafoods, subsequently in the tech sector – for Plessey and Thorn EMI. Indeed, he spent a decade in the latter business, and held three different HR Director positions before becoming Managing Director of Thorn Business Communications in the UK.
Following a restructuring within the business, Pratt made a conscious move to take on interim roles. Reflecting on his career he determined to steer a course that would give him variety while focusing on specific outcomes.
His interim career has been highly successful with roles at FTSE 100 and 250 companies. More recently these positions have gravitated towards longer term assignments within the financial services sector, particularly among insurance companies such as Direct Line, Skandia Life, Novia Financial, Swinton, Towergate, LV= and Grainger.
Legislation boom
According to Steve his initial interest in HR came from his Business Studies course, taken at a time when a lot of legislation related to employment was being introduced. “It was clear that this was a growing trend,” he notes.
Nowadays the ability move fast and make a prompt and significant impact features highly in Steve’s job satisfaction. “A key factor for me – and a requirement for a successful interim manager – is the ability to hit the ground running, make an instant impact and identify very quickly the various business drivers and levers,” he says.
Transformation time
“Working on Interim assignments, often these are about transformation programmes,” he continues. “You can see the impact that you are having on the workforce in general. Working in HR people are often the most important assets in a business so to see that grow and develop is very satisfying – knowing you are helping to make a difference.”
Steve is particularly proud of his work in leading the HR workstream during a major business restructure of Skandia Life. “This came as a result of a review by the FSA – as it was then,” he explains. “It involved working with a newly appointed CEO and restructuring the Executive team while a hostile takeover bid was being made by Old Mutual. I then managed a team to complete the rest of the business restructure including the incorporation of one of the Old Mutual businesses.”
The market evolves
While currently seeking his next assignment, Steve says the most challenging part is that the market for interims has changed. “When I first became an interim there was a very clear distinction between permanent and interim roles,” he explains. “This differentiation has become blurred over a period of time.”
At the same time, Pratt describes the current approach to interims as a sort of ‘try before you buy’ replacing a more purist approach. In addition IR35 has had a significant impact on the interim space. Despite this, however, Steve is still motivated to find his next role and to help a new company achieve more through their people.
