The 5% Club has a panel of Expert Advisors all drawn from membership. This Expert Advisory Panel comprises of representatives from our Fellows and Patron Members. Their role is to:
Andy Baker
HR Manager – Recruitment – Early Careers Programmes
MBDA
Having started his career as an engineering apprentice with British Aerospace (now MBDA UK) Andy has enjoyed a career in recruitment for 26 years across a number of engineering and technology sectors. For the last 12 years this has been focused towards the defence industry with MBDA UK that includes working as Recruitment Programme Manager for the Managed Service Provision responsible for the recruitment of contingent workers.
Since 2016 Andy has worked as the HR Manager – Early Careers Recruitment within MBDA overseeing the attraction, talent pipeline and recruitment of graduates, undergraduates and apprentices across the UK business always with diversity and inclusivity at the core and ensuring our programmes remain “open to all” irrespective of backgrounds, beliefs or social class.
Andy’s team also have responsibility in inspiring the next generation of engineers and plays an active part in encouraging students across schools in undertaking an exciting career in engineering or business through a number of outreach programmes, activities and direct engagement and improving careers education in general.
Tony Ellender
Emerging Talent Manager
Balfour Beatty
As Emerging Talent Manager for Balfour Beatty, Tony is responsible for the design and delivery of professional development programmes for apprentices and graduates across a range of construction, engineering and support disciplines throughout the UK.
Tony joined Balfour Beatty in 1999 and has held a number of Learning and Development roles and has also been responsible for the attraction and recruitment of school leavers and graduates.
He is currently involved in an employer consortium that is developing a range of Higher and Degree apprenticeships in various construction disciplines under the Trailblazer banner and is an Apprentice Ambassador in the North West, where he is based at Balfour Beatty’s Manchester office.
Tony is a member of the Apprentice Diversity Champions Network and heavily engaged with a number of industry and STEM initiatives at national and local levels. He is a key participant in Balfour Beatty’s Armed Forces Forum, supporting the company’s Armed Forces Covenant.
Prior to Balfour Beatty Tony was commissioned in the Royal Navy and held a number of training delivery roles at sea and ashore.
Joanne Gogerly
Head of Professional Education, UK
Siemens
Joanne Gogerly, Head of Siemens Professional Education for the UK and Fellow of The 5% Club, plays a pivotal role in early careers and lifelong learning. She led the implementation of the apprenticeship reform at Siemens, including the levy and transition to apprenticeship standards as a main provider and large employer.
As a globally recognised Professional Education expert, Joanne is committed to addressing critical challenges faced by Siemens such as talent and skills shortages, increasing diverse participation and digital transformation. Her exceptional leadership and expertise have been instrumental in driving Siemens’ success in early careers in the UK.
Karima Khandker
Head of Resourcing, Skills and Emerging Talent
Thames Water
Karima has worked in the world of recruitment, training and apprenticeships for over 15 years. Karima was Head of Employment and Skills for Heathrow, responsible for developing, launching and providing strategic leadership for the award winning Academy, as well as forward thinking approaches to employment and skills development across employers that operate at Heathrow.
Karima is now Head of Skills and Emerging Talent at Thames Water, responsible for setting the strategic direction of the ‘skills’ strategy to support the company to deliver its ambition and ensure the business has a diverse and inclusive pipeline of skills required today and in the future. She leads the skills strategy ensuring that the benefits of growth are felt by all communities and colleagues across the business.
Karima leads a team focussed on driving change within the provision of education, employment and skills across all boroughs, forming strategic partnerships and collaborative approaches with stakeholders including education, community, supply chain and skill providers. She is passionate about driving real change and impacts on socio economic diversity, social inclusion, in work poverty, by creating a skills strategy that will create a fair society for all, drive economic prosperity, support social value and positively impact social mobility.
Katie Nightingale Chartered FCIPD
Director, People Consulting
Grant Thornton UK LLP
Katie is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with over 20 years’ HR and L&D experience within large private organisations across multiple industries. Following her role with Kier Group as Head of Early Careers she is now part of the Grant Thornton People Consulting team supporting clients with all aspects of their people agenda, including advising on apprenticeships, D&I, culture, talent development, employee engagement and organisational design to name but a few. Katie is passionate about developing inclusive organisations by engaging diverse emerging talent as part of strategic workforce planning.
Chris Shirley
Head of UK Skills & Development
QinetiQ
Chris has been working with The 5% Club for many years initially representing Network Rail and now as Head of UK Skills & Development at QinetiQ.
With a career spanning the chemical, education, rail and defence sectors Chris brings experience of delivering Early Careers programmes within an industry setting and with 10 years working in the Secondary education sector understands how educational institutions and those taking their first steps into a work environment view industry.
Chris is passionate about addressing the challenge the UK faces around future skills gaps through the development of people via workplace learning programmes and believes the 5% club has an important role to play in making this happen.
Kerry Sneddon
Graduate Recruitment Manager
WSP
As Recruitment Manager for WSP, Kerry is responsible ensuring the successful recruitment for our Graduate Development programme for Early Career Professionals across the UK business.
Kerry joined WSP in December 2021 after previously working as the Early Years Recruitment and Programme Manager for Arcadis for the past 10 years. Previous to this Kerry worked as a HR Professional in the Built Environment.
Kerry works alongside the Graduate & Apprentice Development Programme lead as well as the Apprentice Recruitment Manager within WSP.
Kerry is passionate about promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers and ensuring that WSP develops the talent needed to support the future growth and prosperity of the organisation, the industry in which WSP operates and wider society.
