London – LawFuel – Law Announcements – DLA Piper today announced the appointment of Carol Ashton as HR Director for EMEA and Asia. Carol joins DLA Piper from Ernst & Young where she was Chief HR Officer for the accountancy firm.
Carol has more than 20 years’ experience as an HR professional, gained from professional and financial services. She brings extensive global experience to the role at DLA Piper and will be responsible for developing and implementing strategy on the full range of issues within the HR agenda, including partner performance management, training and development and diversity.
Prior to joining DLA Piper Carol spent six years at Ernst & Young. Based in the global headquarters in London, Carol was part of a small team responsible for HR strategy and implementation across five core geographic regions. During her time there she was responsible for a number of global initiatives, including the recruitment and mobility of talent within the firm, diversity, the global employee survey and refreshing the firm’s core values. Prior to this Carol was at Andersen for six years where she held a number of senior roles and managed a large HR team.
At DLA Piper Carol will manage a team of more than 130 HR professionals across EMEA and Asia. Reporting to David Crookston, Chief Operating Officer at DLA Piper, Carol will develop strategy and ensure that the HR function is progressive.
Commenting on her appointment David said: “I am delighted that Carol has agreed to join us; she brings with her a wealth of valuable experience. DLA Piper are committed to investing in the areas that will help us deliver excellence to our clients. Carol’s exceptional insight will enable us to shape the HR agenda and take it forward.”
Carol added: “DLA Piper is a great firm and I am really looking forward to working with my new colleagues in order to build on existing HR strategies. Having worked for a global professional services organisation for over a decade I understand the impact that HR-related matters can have on business performance and will be able to draw on my experience to ensure that the HR function is aligned to the changing needs of the business.”
Carol’s appointment is effective from 15 September 2008.
About Carol Ashton
Carol has more than 20 years’ HR management experience, gained from professional and financial services. She started her career in the public sector in 1984 before joining Grant Thornton in 1986, where she managed graduate recruitment and training. After three years Carol joined the Union Bank of Switzerland and later joined Alwen Hough Johnson to take up a more strategic role, where she subsequently became the Personnel Director on the management board. In 1996 Carol joined Andersen and in the six years that followed she took on a number of roles, including that of Managing Director (People) for EMEAI and was made partner in 2001.
Carol left Arthur Andersen in 2002 to join Ernst &Young and worked on a number of global initiatives. As partner and Chief HR Officer Carol worked across five regions in order to set and implement the HR strategy.
