On-demand Executive Leader, Chief People Officer, Chief Risk Officer
+61 403 067 377
Christine.Polson@LeadersOnDemand.com
Christine is a forward thinking and high energy Chief People Officer experienced in leading and growing organisations through strategy and performance alignment.
With over 20 years experience in leadership roles and in risk and people, Christine is known as a dedicated and empathic leader who thrives on building businesses, helping teams navigate stormy waters, and driving transformational change. She has deep situational experience across M&A, organisational design and change, remuneration strategies, and employee engagement.
Christine's strength is in embedding deep performance cultures, paired with a focus on linking organisational strategy with individual performance to drive commercial outcomes.
Career History
Starting out in Remuneration and Payroll within FMCG, Manufacturing and Retail, Christine sort additional challenges and was appointed to lead the HRIS implementation and change management programs in what was emerging as a matrixed M&A environment under new ownership.
In a global enterprise, Christine then implemented the Group Risk framework and worked with leadership teams to build Risk Management capability which led to Christine leading the Risk, Legal and Property teams in a shared service environment.
After 5 years leading Risk and Legal, Christine was offered the opportunity to lead the HR practice for Freedom Australia partnering with CEO Tim Schaafsma to implement significant change and move the dial of team performance and culture.
In a high growth environment of 10,000+ employees the CPO of Greenlit Brands was the natural progression for Christine to navigate the intricacies of separation from a global parent company, including change and other local strategies in relation to Retention, Engagement, connecting people to purpose and ultimately preparing the businesses for an exit event including possible IPOs.
Leadership Highlights
Chief People Officer at Greenlit Brands, partnering with 14 divisional CEOs and 10,000 employees to grow from $300M to a $2B revenue business across 14 AU & NZ brands.
Leading Human Capital requirements for Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestment transactions including, due diligence internal/external communication strategy, organisational design, employee change management and exit processes.
Advisor to Boards and Executive teams on Remuneration frameworks, benchmarking and incentive strategies.
EVP strategy, driving talent attraction, and improving new hire retention rate by 60%.
Leader of Risk and Legal to deliver the company’s commercial legal advice services, including establishment of consumer law compliance framework, risk management and delivery of the group insurance program.
Qualifications
Certified Organisational Coach (IECL), Leading Change & Organisation Renewal Harvard Business School, MBA Charles Sturt University, ESCI Emotional Social Competency Index Accreditation, PROSCI Change Management Certification, Accredited Culture Coach (Human Synergistics), Dare to Lead Trained
Sectors
Retail, Consumer Products, FMCG, Manufacturing
Functions
General Management, Commercial, Risk & Governance, Strategy, People & Culture, Board
Situations
Whole-enterprise Transformation, Crisis Management, Mergers Acquisitions and Divestments, Change, Matrixed Organisations, Global Parent Owners
Favourite quotes
“I learned to always take on things I'd never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist” Ginni Rometti
“The level of collective courage in an organisation is the absolute best predictor of that organisations ability to be successful” Brené Brown
“I joined Leaders on Demand...
... to partner with diverse teams and provide alternative perspectives on leadership effectiveness and connecting people to purpose”
“When I'm not at work...
... I'm busy being the social co-ordinator for 2 children, and in my own time I love my morning coffees, and walks by the beach and catching up with friends”