Rob Woollen

People & Operations Leader

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

About

Chief Operating Officer / Chief of Staff I am an influential and commercially astute people & operations director with financial acumen, business development expertise and a successful record devising/executing strategy at C-level to deliver major HR and operational projects; driving performance, growth and £multimillion revenues for reputed organisations. An articulate communicator, relationship builder and talent developer, I also have a reputation as an insightful analyst, inspirational leader and respected board-level advisor. Selected achievements: Strategic advisor and trusted partner to CEOs; contributing to £42m turnover for DSG Financial Services as COO Transformed the business and implemented new HR frameworks; increasing revenues by £2.6 million in just two years Spearheaded workplace health initiatives as director of wellbeing for £80 million turnover, 1500-strong PeoplePlus Group. Specialities: Chief People Officer, Chief of Staff, COO, Senior, Director, Head, Executive, Boards, C-Level, C-Suite, People Strategy, HR, Transformation, Projects, Operations, Occupational Wellbeing, Organisational Resilience, Leadership, People Development, Business Development, Consulting, Advising, Projects, Programmes, Planning, Implementation, Change, Processes, Cost Savings, Finance, P&L, Analysis, Resources, Reporting, Innovation, Efficiency Improvements, Performance Improvements, Procedures, Partnerships, Communications, Client Relations, Stakeholder Relations, Collaboration, Presentation, Negotiation, Influencing, Recruitment, Talent Development, Team Building, Best Practices, L&D

Experience

  • Chief Operating Officer at DSG Finance

     Developed and executed people strategy; enhancing performance for this £42 million turnover firm  Supported financing for vehicles worth £700 million; achieving corporate goals and surpassing expectations  Chaired DSG’s compliance committee and ensured smooth execution of objectives as a member of the board and executive committee  Built relationships with customers, partners and stakeholders; fostering rapport and trust, as well as influencing strategic decisions  Drove positive change and championed equity, diversity and inclusion across the organisation  Transformed the business and implemented new HR frameworks; increasing revenues by £2.6 million in just two years  Led teams of 120, developed and implemented HR policies and aligned business objectives with strategy and priorities  Enhanced employee satisfaction and loyalty, reduced attrition by an industry-leading 17% and increased the net promoter score by 26%  Directed and motivated a customer-focused workforce, navigated challenges, and reduced recruitment costs; driving success  Established an AI steering group and launched innovative process automation projects; ensuring global operational efficiency  Led a machine learning program to replace manual tasks; increasing transactions by 10% without additional workforce  Implemented an identity verification tool to protect the business and its partners; preventing £0.6 million in fraud in one year alone  Spearheaded the implementation of a major change in UK finance legislation across DSG as the firm’s FCA-nominated Consumer Duty Champion  Improved annual conversion rates by 56%, and increased average revenue per salesperson by 40%

  • Head of Wellbeing and Organisational Development at DSG Finance

    My role at DSG is quite simply to make it the best place to work that it can be. I do this through: - Supporting colleagues Nurturing colleagues Listening to colleagues and Acting to improve their working lives. My team includes colleagues working on operational HR, Talent and Learning and Development.

  • Freelance Specialist Human Resources (Wellbeing) Consultant at Rightway Wellbeing Ltd

     Enhanced employee wellbeing and business performance for top-tier clients  Advised Sunday Times ‘Best Companies’, helping one client improve their ranking from 79th to 23rd place  Trained senior leaders at blue-chip firms including Siemens, Rolls Royce, JP Morgan, United Utilities, and State Street Bank

  • Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University

    Delivering 2 sessions per week to integrated Masters students focused on people management, resilience and enterprise.

  • Director of Health and Wellbeing at PeoplePlus UK

     Implemented workplace health initiatives for the £80 million turnover, 1500-strong group  Established a profitable wellbeing function in just 18 months and rolled out training to companies like United Utilities, B Braun, and Babcock  Listed in the Sunday Times ‘Best Companies’ category for developing and delivering top- quality employee programs; exceeding expectations

  • Personal Trainer at Rob Woollen Personal Training

    With personal trainers across the North-West, we pride ourselves on providing the most up-to-date fitness instruction coupled with a high level of professionalism. We make fitness fun, safe and effective and our results speak for themselves.