{"id":652,"date":"2026-01-28T13:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T13:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/28\/from-rgu-to-global-hr-leadership\/"},"modified":"2026-01-28T13:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T13:32:11","slug":"from-rgu-to-global-hr-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/28\/from-rgu-to-global-hr-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"From RGU to Global HR Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

From discovering the internet for the first time during his studies to leading HR teams across the globe, RGU<\/a> alumnus Chris Taylor has built a career defined by curiosity, connection, and a passion for helping people thrive.<\/p>\n

Nearly three decades after completing his studies, Chris now runs his own HR consultancy and continues to return to RGU every year to share his experience with students. Read about his journey in this blog.<\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/p>\n

How would you describe the learning environment at RGU?<\/h2>\n

My experience at RGU was incredibly positive. I studied between 1991 and 1996, which was largely pre-internet, so we relied heavily on lecturers, fellow students, and the library to access information. During that time, we transitioned from handwritten submissions in first year to word-processed documents.<\/p>\n

I also remember accessing the internet for the very first time in 1996 during my PGD, using the computer room at Kepplestone – a real turning point.<\/p>\n

Did you take part in industry placements during your studies?<\/h2>\n

Yes, I completed two placements during my time at RGU.<\/p>\n

During my third year of the BA (Hons) Business Studies degree, I spent a year working with a Chartered Accountancy firm. I gained hands-on experience in auditing, payroll, VAT returns, final accounts preparation, and supporting a wide range of clients.<\/p>\n

That placement was incredibly valuable, as it helped me realise that becoming a Chartered Accountant wasn\u2019t the right career path for me – and prompted my pivot towards HR.<\/p>\n

Later, during my Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resources, I completed a six-week placement at Conoco (now ConocoPhillips). This was my first experience working within an HR team.<\/p>\n

I carried out a review of their internal Equal Opportunities Policy and made recommendations for improvement. I absolutely loved being part of the team, and it cemented my desire to become an HR professional.<\/p>\n

How well do you feel your course prepared you for your career?<\/h2>\n

I was fortunate to secure my first permanent, full-time HR Administrator role before I had even formally completed my PGD in HR. I remember finishing my final exams and starting the role just a couple of weeks later. The position was advertised directly through the University, and it marked the beginning of my HR career \u2014 nearly 30 years ago.<\/p>\n

As my career progressed, I realised that RGU had given me a strong grounding in HR best practice. Throughout my career, I\u2019ve always tried to leave organisations better than I found them, and I believe that mindset has been a key factor in my career development over the last three decades.<\/p>\n

RGU also taught me the importance of maintaining your network. I still return to the University every year to share my real-life HR experiences with students – something I\u2019ve been doing for nearly 20 years now.<\/p>\n

Tell us about your current role and what a typical day looks like<\/h2>\n

Since 2025, I\u2019ve been running my own HR consultancy, providing tailored HR services and support to clients across a range of industries. Prior to this, I was Vice President of HR for Petrofac\u2019s Asset Solutions Division, supporting over 5,000 people across the US, UK, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.<\/p>\n

There really is no such thing as a typical day. My work can change quickly, and adaptability is essential. A day might involve supporting an existing client with specific requirements, managing workloads and deliverables, preparing proposals and costings for new clients, or networking – whether that\u2019s attending forums or organised events, in person or virtually.<\/p>\n

I also spend time developing my business: working on the company website, producing my HR Career Journey<\/em> podcast, sharing insights via social media, keeping up to date with employment law and industry developments, managing finances and invoices, identifying new business opportunities, and exploring potential partnerships. In short, no two days are ever the same.<\/p>\n

What’s a career moment you’ll never forget?<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s hard to narrow it down, as I\u2019ve been fortunate to work with some fantastic organisations and incredible people on a range of challenging projects. However, receiving the Golden cHeRry Award<\/em> in 2015 stands out as a particularly proud moment.<\/p>\n

This one-off award marked Aberdeen Business School\u2019s 50th anniversary and recognised an RGU graduate who had made a substantial impact on the HR industry through nomination.<\/p>\n

What’s one piece of advice you’d give an RGU student today?<\/h2>\n

Curiosity \u2014 explore everything. The more you explore, the more you learn.<\/p>\n

One word that describes the RGU alumni community?<\/h2>\n

Welcoming. <\/p>\n

Chris Taylor<\/em>, Business Studies 1995 andHuman Resource Management 1996.<\/em><\/p>\n

Related blogs<\/h2>\n

Studying MSc Human Resource Management at RGU<\/a><\/p>\n

My experience studying a master\u2019s in Human Resource Management<\/a><\/p>\n

The post From RGU to Global HR Leadership<\/a> appeared first on RGU Student Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From discovering the internet for the first time during his studies to leading HR teams across the globe, RGU alumnus Chris Taylor has built a career defined by curiosity, connection, and a passion fo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-student"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.bloggingxpert.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}