Mace Group

Group Human Resources Director

Kath Knight joined Mace as HR director in 1998 and is responsible for providing strategic advice to the group board in all areas of human resource management. Her remit covers domestic and international employment strategies, compensation and benefits, employee relations and employment law, learning and development and talent management, organisational development, resourcing and recruitment, diversity and equal opportunities, workforce and succession planning, employee wellbeing and occupational health and safety and performance management.

Kath has been a qualified HR practitioner for over 30 years and has worked in a very wide variety of roles, including employment law, payroll and benefits, training and development, industrial relations and recruitment. Kath is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Prior to joining Mace, Kath's experience was mainly of human resource management in the public sector working with large local authorities and airports. When Kath joined Mace she had most recently been head of HR for Buckinghamshire County Council.

Kath is a board member of UKCAE (United Kingdom Council for Access and Equality) and a regular conference speaker on HR, particularly in the construction and property industry. Kath is a keen supporter of equality and diversity and is a judge for the Women in Property graduate award scheme.

Kath is passionate about employee engagement and one of her early initiatives at Mace was the annual staff satisfaction survey. This ensures that the company's board remains grounded and that the Mace HR agenda, produced each year by the team and approved by the group board, addresses the right issues. To stay at the leading edge, Mace is supporting a research project at Kingston University to establish a clear measure of what it is that determines and influences staff engagement.

Due to initiatives taken by Mace and supported by the HR team, the company has seen staff satisfaction ratings move from xx to xx over the past xx years. Staff turnover has also remained consistently low and the latest statistics show this running at xx%

During her time at Mace, Kath has seen the company grow from 500 people across four locations to more than 2,700 in twenty-eight cities around the world. She has played a critical part in ensuring that Mace has moved into the 21st century with HR policies and practices which lead the field.

Kath's is committed to learning and development and the programme now offered to Mace staff is exceptional. Kath has recently qualified as a coach through Henley Management College. Under Kath's leadership the company has obtained and retained the Investor in People standard. Providing an HR service for directors, managers and staff that is second to none is Kath's major driving force.

Kath lives in Sherington in Buckinghamshire and has one grown up son. She plans to keep learning until the day she dies, travelling to new places, socialising with friends and family and watching (not playing) football.

Timeline
2005 Mace ranked 26th Place in 'The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For '
2001 Appointed to board as HR Director of Mace Group Limited
1999 Appointed as Mace HR director
1998 Joins Mace as HR manager
1972 Cheshire County Council
1988 Luton Borough Council and Luton Airport
1995 Buckinghamshire County Council
1978 Qualified as HR practitioner following study at Liverpool University