HR Insights - The Podcast. Series 7 - Career Stories: Venturing Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Welcome back to another episode of HR Insights: The Podcast. To kick off the first career stories episode of the series, Stuart Elliott welcomed another friend of Elliott Scott HR, Ria Davey to discuss her career journey spanning multiple global locations, her development along the way amidst organisational changes and transformation, as well as the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone. 

In this episode, Stuart and Ria begin by discussing Ria’s expansive experience in the HR world. From an early career working in the Middle East, moving to Hong Kong and then on to New York, Ria explains the challenges she faced when adapting to different cultures and ways of working. The conversation then moves onto Ria’s career milestones as well as some of the obstacles she’s faced both personally and in her work life. She shares her top tips for becoming an effective business partner as well as leader, emphasising the importance of authenticity in leadership, continuous learning, and creating environments where team members feel safe to grow and challenge the status quo.

Ria Davey is the Group Director of People for D&A-Engineering at LSEG. With over 20 years of global, strategic HR leadership experience, she is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD (FCIPD), holds an MA and BSc in HRM and Psychology and a certified executive coach. A transformation specialist with a wealth of experience in engineering, fintech and data led multinationals, Ria has lived and worked in the Middle East, Hong Kong, New York, and London. 

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Key Timestamps: 

02:09 - Intro into Ria Davey

07:25 - How the move to the Middle East escalated her career 

12:55 - Ria’s top three career milestones 

14:43 - The similarities and differences between working in the Middle East and Hong Kong

17:45 - The challenges of establishing boundaries 

21:30 - Career and Personal challenges 

27:15 - The proudest moment in Ria’s career 

28:20 - The core responsibilities of a People Business Partner 

30:50 - Key skills and qualities of a successful Business Partner 

34:32 - How to lead successfully 

39:33 - Insights on the market, future trends and direction of HR 

46:08 - Advice for aspiring Business Partners