Who We Are at Oxford HR
Consultants
Michael Wills, Oxford HR's Founder and Director, has a lifelong commitment to international cooperation. He has worked extensively across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He was an international publisher with IPC and McGraw-Hill before joining the staff of the British NGO Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) as country director for Malawi and then Indonesia. He has subsequently managed a variety of development programmes focused on education and health sector social marketing. He has also worked as a consultant to DFID, the World Bank and UNESCO. Michael is a Trustee of Fred Hollows Foundation UK and a member of the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Development Studies Association, and the Council for Education in the Commonwealth.
E-mail: mwills@oxfordhr.co.uk | Telephone: +44 (0)1865 403233 | Mobile: +44 (0)7748 63 19 11
Hazel Douglas, Director of Oxford HR, ran her own management and organisational development consultancy for 15 years. She worked as a freelance trainer for the UK Civil Service College, delivering management and communication skills courses to all grades of civil servant, including the most senior. In addition, she designed and delivered a suite of management development modules for a large general hospital and for a commercial client for over 8 years.
Previously, Hazel was HR Director for OXFAM and Head of Recruitment for a London borough. In addition to her expertise as a recruiter, Hazel is a skilled trainer, coach and facilitator of individuals, teams and groups for visioning, learning, development and planning in an organisational context.
Hazel has an MSc in Change Agent Skills and Strategies from the University of Surrey, is a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and holds diplomas in Counselling and Management. Hazel is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a Member of the Human Potential Research Group. Hazel has been a staff member, executive and non-executive director, volunteer and trustee for UK and global charities and social enterprise organisations.
E-mail: hdouglas@oxfordhr.co.uk | Telephone: +44 (0)1865 403232 / 249513 | Mobile: +44 (0)7989 97 59 69
James McLeod, the Company Secretary, is a management consultant and international development specialist with over 30 years' experience in trade, economic development, social development, planning, training and institutional development in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia/Pacific. He is fluent in French, German and Spanish. James is a Member of Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), the International Consulting Economists' Association (currently a committee member), and the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association (as Justice of the Peace). He is also a Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society (Former member of Central Council and Public Affairs Committee) and the Royal Geographical Society as well as an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (retired status).
E-mail: jmcleod@oxfordhr.co.uk | Telephone: +44 (20) 8878 0408
Karen Twining, Consultant, is an Africa-specialist with over 25 years experience in International NGOs. Born in the Sudan, she established the first Oxfam GB office in Darfur in 1984. She also worked with Oxfam in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Kenya; with International Alert as Head of the Rwanda Secretariat after the Genocide; headed the Africa Department at ActionAid, covering 18 countries; and was Chief Executive of International Development Enterprises UK. An Oxford graduate, Karen was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Developmental Studies at Sussex University. She is a natural networker and people connector, with wide experience of recruitment and a commitment to helping people reach their potential. Karen is a Trustee of SOS Sahel International UK, and a member of the Development Studies Association.
E-mail: ktwining@oxfordhr.co.uk | Telephone: +44 (0) 1865 600359 | Mobile: +44 (0)7947 105 257
Advisors and Non-Executive Directors
Carol Wills is a non-Executive Director of Oxford HR. Formerly Executive Director of the International Fair Trade Association (now WFTO) and Head of Oxfam's "Bridge" Fair Trade Programme, she currently is a Non-Executive Director of the Shared Interest Society; a Trustee of the Shared Interest Foundation and a non-Exec of Twin Trading and Divine Chocolate Ltd - both Fair Trade companies. She has an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice.
John Pearce is a non-executive director of Oxford HR. He is a Service Manager (Commissioning) for Oxfordshire County Council, specialising in care of the elderly and physically disabled. John also has previous experience in mental health care. He has a Masters in Social Work from Massey University, New Zealand.
Administrator/Researchers
The Consultants' Team is very reliant on efficient back-up and comprehensive and detailed global research for each job: how and where we can contact people who might be suitable for the posts we are filling. Our research and administration team all have experience of international development and/or relevant academic qualifications in the field.
Maria Jesus Laguna, Administrator/Researcher for Oxford HR, is a Law graduate from Spain who has been living in the UK for 15 years. Maria Jesus has nearly 10 years experience working in the development sector, mostly in Fair Trade.
She worked for Oxfam GB first as Administrator/Information Officer for the Fair Trade team, and then as Producer and Product Coordinator for Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Maria has considerable experience in dealing with food and craft producers and has travelled to Latin America to work closely with them.
Maria Jesus then went on to work for the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO -formerly known as IFAT), assisting in the organisation of 2 international conferences, one in England and the other in Tanzania, taking over the role of Membership Coordinator for the Secretariat before the offices moved to the Netherlands.
Email: mlaguna@oxfordhr.co.uk
Uma Pradhan is working closely with the consultants on executive search and selection, mainly concentrating on research, database and web management.
Prior to this, Uma held program management positions for 8 years in Nepal and India, specialising in children's rights, health, and education, working with Room to Read India Trust, Intervida World Alliance (INWA), Human Rights Law Network, etc. Throughout Uma's career, she has remained committed to the international development sector combining research, writing and programme work. Uma has an MA in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India and a BA in Social work from Kathmandu University, Nepal.
Email: upradhan@oxfordhr.co.uk
Anna Rowett is working with Oxford HR as part of a joint internship with SOS Sahel International, with whom we share our offices in Oxford.
She recently completed an MSc in International Development Studies at Utrecht University in the Netherlands which involved an internship with Plan - Benin to study linkages between food security and primary school education. In addition to this Anna holds a BA in Human Geography from the University of Leeds.
Anna is focussed on working in the development sector and she has carried out various overseas internships including working at a charity-run children's home in Fencheng in eastern China, where she was a volunteer and carried out research into the one-child policy for her undergraduate dissertation. She has also worked on a peer education programme around HIV/AIDS at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa.
Email: arowett@oxfordhr.co.uk