In March 2011 we interviewed Genevieve Glover when she was the HR Director of AEG Europe which developed and successfully opened The O2. We thought it would be interesting to catch up with Genevieve and find out what she has done since she left AEG Europe! 1. Why did you join Maudsley Learning, as it was a departure from your previous HR role and sector at AEG?
It was a great opportunity to bring together all my previous experience in start-ups, HR, operational and commercial roles, working in health (my passion!), work with the world class brands of Maudsley, Kings College London and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, to be disruptive and to be the boss! 2. How do you balance being a parent with a busy work schedule?
An equal partnership with my husband and really, really, really good planning 3. What is your new role and what have been the challenges in your role to date?
I’m Managing Director of a Community Interest Company (CIC) called Maudsley Learning. We were established with a vision of supporting and producing world class and accessible learning in mental health and wellbeing. We deliver learning through events (webinars, conferences etc.) and training (F2F or online or both) using subject matter expertise from our clinical and academic partners. There have been two key challenges to date – having been an exec director, NED and Chair on various Boards, I have never been a Managing Director. So I’ve learnt a lot about how I work with my Board from that perspective and position. Secondly, the NHS….navigating its complexities, politics and Politics. 4. You’ve had a diverse career, what have you learned or what would you do differently if you did it all again?
No regrets! The key learning has been that skills and experience transcend sector and bring a fresh perspective 5. What do you do outside of work and how does that compliment your business life?
Add to my busy schedule (!) with NED roles at the RFU and Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation, swim/ run etc and last but by no means least have great fun times with my 4 yo, Freya! 6. What’s the secret to inspiring or managing a team
I’m not sure there’s a secret, just trying, testing, watching and learning! What tends to work for me currently (and I could learn new ways for the future!) is be as honest as you can, share a vision then translate it for each team and each individual within the teams so they know where they fit, be authentic, treat people like grownups (and how you’d like to be treated), don’t ask someone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself, have courage, be decisive (even if the decision is not to make a decision at that time!) and have fun! 7. What’s next in your career?
Currently we’re going through an interesting period of change as we move from start up to growth phase. We are building on what we’ve learnt so far, sense checking with our social vision and refining our offerings so that we can achieve financial sustainability. In addition, our shareholder, Maudsley Charity and key stakeholder, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, are going through a period of change. So supporting this and aligning our strategy with theirs to strengthen our activities, position and relationship. As for me? Who knows…