Connectr appoints Chief Progression Officer Simon Reichwald!
We have some fantastic news to share with you. This week, Connectr’s former Strategic Lead for Talent, Simon Reichwald was appointed as Connectr’s Chief Progression Officer. The creation of this new role follows Connectr’s commitment to support organisations to hire the best talent, progress, and retain their best people.
As Chief Progression Officer, Simon will also provide mentorship to the growing team at Connectr enabling new and existing employees to expand their knowledge, skills, and experience.
Simon moves into his new role after spending more than seven years as Connectr’s Strategic Lead for Talent, helping partners to design and deliver award-winning talent acquisition programmes and bring their wider diversity and inclusion agendas to life. With over 25 years in the talent space, Simon has led inclusion and belonging strategies for many businesses and supported well-known Connectr clients including Cognizant, RPC Law Firm, and GSK plc.
Simon is a well-respected and influential figure in the early talent sector. His additional responsibilities include Honorary Vice-President of the Institute of Student Employers (ISE), helping this organisation shape its strategies for supporting younger members of the workforce. He also holds an Honorary Teaching Fellow role for the ‘Leaders in Residence’ programme at Lancaster University.
Most recently, Simon became one of three selected Delivery Partners for the launch of the ‘Progress Together’ membership body commissioned by City of London Corporation. This exciting new Government-commissioned initiative involves the creation of a new nationwide membership body focused on improving socio-economic diversity at senior levels in the Financial Services sector.
As Deputy Chair for the Apprentice Diversity Champions Network (ADCN), Simon helps champion the benefits of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DE&I) to employers, and encourage more people from underrepresented groups, including those with disabilities, women, and members of ethnically diverse communities, to consider apprenticeships.
We asked Simon how he felt about his new role at Connectr. He told us:
“Having spent almost three decades enabling businesses to hire great talent, over more recent years I’ve seen the need to equally prioritise the progression of this talent – particularly those from underrepresented groups. Through delivering an outstanding acquisition strategy as well as equity of progression, businesses will unlock the potential of their people, boosting overall productivity and innovation. My new role brings this into sharp focus and empowers our partners’ new and existing talent to become truly valuable employees.
“I am also a firm believer in practising what we preach. My role will ensure Connectr constantly seeks new ways to support our future and existing team to progress their knowledge, skills, networks, and careers – so we, too, can reap the benefits of the exceptional people we hire. I can’t wait to see the impact this new opportunity will deliver.”
A huge congratulations to Simon from everyone at Connectr! We know you’ll do a fantastic job for everyone here as well as our clients. We will all benefit from your knowledge, experience, and above all, your passion for helping people progress in their careers.
We wish Simon all the best in this new role.