After 10 years in HM Forces (Army) Corps of Royal Engineers, James ended his military career as a Lance Corporal.
After signing off, James embarked on a career in HR, starting out as an HR Administrator. Within this role, he found his passion for helping organisations make workplaces that inspire people to do their best work. James has had various roles, working his way up to lead a HR team. His most recent role was as a Management Consultant within PwC Workforce practice.
Fast forward a few years, and Redeployable is working with Neuron. It’s a connectivity and digital management platform for things that move, such as ships, planes and trains. The platform combines real-time data with AI to provide complete visibility, insights, and control over companies’ connectivity operations and end-user digital experiences.
James was matched with a Global Director of People role at this fast-growing technology company, and the rest is history.
How was military experience his competitive advantage?
James’ experience in the military gave him a skillset that translated perfectly to a leadership role like this.
👉 Organisation: As an ex-Lance Corporal, James has experience in detailed planning and resource allocation, fostering team coordination, and adapting to ever-changing environments. This experience instils a highly organised approach to achieving objectives, seamlessly translating into HR leadership. Also, this skill is used in areas such as strategic workforce planning, ensuring the organisation has the right skills, at the right place, at the right time.
👉 Adaptability: Military personnel are trained to adapt to changing environments and circumstances. This adaptability is crucial in the dynamic, fast-paced world that tech companies, and their people, operate in. No two days are the same in James’ new role, therefore adaptability is a key attribute to have.
👉 Discipline: The military instils a sense of discipline and effective time management. These qualities are beneficial in managing HR processes for a globally distributed team and ensuring organisational efficiency. The military mindset has a relentless focus on achieving excellence, and discipline is core to this. James uses this to continuously improve himself and the team.
👉 Leadership: In the military, James gained leadership experience in managing small teams. This prepared him for leadership and management roles in the corporate world, including overseeing HR functions. The Army taught James how to take a condor moment, taking a step back to enable effective decision-making.
“You have more transferable skills than you think. The military work ethic is key and will set you apart from your peers.” - James Boden, Neuron
