Our newly appointed Director of People and Culture, Kurran Hawksley, spoke to us about what his new role entails and what he's looking forward to achieving.
How long have you worked at Changing Lives, and what roles have you had in your time? Tell us a bit more about your roles.
I’ve worked at Changing Lives for over four years now. I first joined as a People and Culture Manager, focusing on employee relations—really living up to the name by supporting our people and shaping the incredible culture that already existed. I had, and still have, the privilege of working with a brilliant team and learning from so many inspiring colleagues across the organisation.
A couple of years later, I stepped into a People Business Partner role, which gave me more exposure to strategic work and a deeper understanding of what our people want and need. Just over a year ago, I was honoured to be given a chance as Head of People and Culture, in such a great charity, managing our wonderful teams across recruitment, L&D, ER, welfare and wellbeing. It’s been a joy to work with people from every corner of the organisation.
What does your new role entail?
As People and Culture Director, I’ll be leading our people strategy—ensuring we remain sustainable, inclusive, perform well and align with our charity values. For me, it’s about using compassion, empathy and a people-first approach to make sure we’re delivering on our organisational goals while meeting the diverse needs of our people.
How do you feel you had to develop professionally (and personally) in order to secure your new role?
Professionally, I’ve learned so much on the job—because the best learning often comes from doing. I’ve been fortunate to be supported in my development, including starting a CMI Leadership apprenticeship, which I’m excited to do and will help me deliver on my new role.
Personally, I have had first hand experience on what Changing Lives means to people. I have had to shift my mindset—from seeing it purely as “business” to recognising the huge responsibility that comes with supporting the people who do the life-changing work in our services. It’s genuinely humbling. Changing Lives has changed my own life too—it’s made me more grounded, more reflective, and more grateful.
What do you hope to achieve?
I hope to serve our amazing people we have working for us and make a positive impact on people's working lives, whether in small or significant ways. My goal is to help create an environment where wellbeing is at the heart of what we do, even when the challenges feel really tough—and to help ensure Changing Lives can continue doing exactly that: changing people’s lives.
