Simon Holmes

Trusted human-centric technical leader and published technical author with 20+ years driving innovation through strategic vision, problem-solving, building collaborative relationships, and cultivating high-performing teams. Proven abilities in communicating complex concepts to broad audiences coupled with a unique blend of technical and business acumen.

Co-Founder and Consultant

Is your engineering team not running the way you want it to? Chances are it's not a technical issue or a skills gap. Chances are, it's more complex - it's human.

We partner with people who believe what we believe, namely that:
1) Software engineering is a deeply human endeavour
2) Software delivery and organisational performance are predicted by the underlying engineering culture

Alongside consultancy, change management, and interim management two of our most popular services are:

1) Engineering Culture Index
Our Engineering Culture Index provides a way to measure your engineering culture, highlighting the strengths of the team and the issues holding you back.

2) Team Dependencies Matrix
Identify the hidden bottlenecks and dependencies that are slowing your team town.

For both of these we help you with the root cause analysis and corrective actions. They are often combined together into a complete actionable audit.

AUTODOC

AUTODOC is a fast-growing, technology-driven company specialised in automotive e-commerce headquartered in Berlin, Germany. The company was founded in 2008. We are a team of like-minded people from different countries and cultures. We place great emphasis on digital solutions and social media channels, provide technical support in the appropriate national languages, and focus on the demand for our product range.

Responsibilities:

▪	Manage and oversee the global People Operations team of 35 team members over 8 countries, including performance and deliverables
▪	Coordinate the timely delivery of global people operations tasks that arise from various organisational projects/initiatives
▪	Drive process and efficiency improvements for People Operations workflows and responsibilities
▪	Ensure a strong problem solving orientation to guide the team through various complicated issues
▪	Collaborate with various stakeholders to ensure alignment on clear outcomes relating to People Operations responsibilities
▪	Support the People Operations team through reorganisation and up-skilling activities

Senior Manager People Operations

Kukr Consulting

I work remotely with diverse clients, for fractional HR services, project-based consulting, and on-going HR support.

Senior Human Resources Consultant

PerformHR

Senior Human Resources Business Partner

Harrison McMillan Pty Ltd

Senior Human Resources Generalist (Consultant)

Cantanea

Head of People

Australian Federal Police

Responsible for a distributed team of 35. Managed cultural change, and implemented a HR Business Partner model, transitioning from compliance focused to strategic partners with business.

▪	Coached C-level executives, middle managers, and line managers, providing ongoing support and advice. 
▪	Managed the staffing budget, including programs, projects and learning & development.
▪	Managed workforce planning and succession planning using data and metrics to monitor trends and inform decisions.
▪	Implemented a HRBP model, managing cultural change and skills alignment to business outcomes.
▪	Managed cultural change related to customer experience, including development of a training program for 800 staff.
▪	Leadership involvement in a formal mentor program and held a leadership role in graduate recruitment.
▪	Developed and implemented an internal HR customer service charter, resulting in improved cross-functional communication and elevated HR’s reputation within the organisation.


Lived in Vanuatu for 3 months in 2011, working with the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) to develop HR Policies and procedures aligned with changes in employment legislation. 

2 years living in the Solomon Islands from 2012 to 2014.  RAMSI’s goal was to assist the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force in building a modern, effective, and independent police force. My focus was on building capabilities in leadership and human resources for the RSIPF for the full employee lifecycle.


Established approximately 40 years ago, at the time the organisation had 6500 plus staff and offices in Australian capitals with staff in 31 international locations and 11 overseas missions.

HR Director

IP Australia

Managed a small HR team responsible for HR policies, programs, and a training program which included assessing employees’ competencies for promotion.

▪	Led a project which monitored sickness absence issues, highlighted concerns with Managers, and developed coaching options for managing cases. 
▪	Reviewed a training program and implemented improvements which resulted in: 
      • 	50% reduction in time for entry-level employees to become fully productive.
      •	        Attraction of higher calibre talent 
      •	        Higher quality learning outcomes by a more targeted and streamlined program.
▪	Managed Talent Programs, including reviewing and implementing improvements to a staff exchange program with external organisations for high-performing individuals.
▪	Managed recruitment including marketing, attraction, and onboarding.
▪	Developed and managed the first ever international workshop for trademarks (20 countries) in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
▪	Developed and implemented a “Mature Age Workers Strategy” to retain talent and plan for succession.

Assistant Director, HR

Department of Defence of Australia

Commenced in an entry-level HR role and progressed through to Assistant HR Director. Managed a small HR team.

▪	Led organisational restructure for the organisation that allowed them to sustainably operate with reduced FTE successfully.
▪	Champion for early stage career growth in the organisation through management of a university scholarship program and post-graduate recruitment. 
▪	Key activities included: Relationship building with key partners, talent acquisition strategies and roll-out, intern and employee onboarding, and overall project management

HR Leader | HR Consultant | HR Generalist | HR Manager | HR Director | HR Business Partner | HR Project Manager

As a HR leader with extensive experience across sectors and domains, from building ground-up HR operations for start-ups to delivering impact in organisations with 60,000 employees, my strengths are rooted in my ability to both visualise strategy and get hands-on. 

I have successfully created HR processes and programs for many companies while aligning all activities to the culture, the people, and the business strategy. 

I lead projects and programs across the employee lifecycle: recruiting, onboarding, employee training, performance management, and internal policies.

I am a HR leader with international experience. I’m also great at managing teams. In my work, I build relationships and collaborate effortlessly, contributing to innovation and growth. On my team, I am the go-to problem solver, inspiring others and helping them reach their full potential. 

At the company level, I am an advocate of positive working cultures, great employee engagement, and eliminating the complexity of processes.

Let's connect and explore how I can contribute to your organisation's success!

taplio

The Battle

Simon Holmes

Kylie Ralston

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