“Carol Sommerville, Chief People Officer, Compass Group UK & Ireland”
Carol Sommerville has been appointed as the new Chief People Officer (CPO) for Compass Group UK & Ireland, effective immediately.
Sommerville comes to Compass Group UK & Ireland from Watchfinder, a luxury pre-owned watch specialist business within the Richemont Group, where she served as Global HR Director. Before this role, she held prominent HR positions at Net-a-Porter and commenced her career at BT. At BT, she held roles such as HR Director for the Openreach Service Centres, Director of Meritocracy for BT Group, and Vice President of HR EMEA within BT Global Services. Through these diverse roles, she has amassed extensive HR expertise across various industries, demonstrating a dedicated focus on fostering people development, investment, and cultivating an inclusive organisational culture.
Sommerville will assume the responsibility of advancing the company's 'Our Social Promise,' a pledge to positively impact a million individuals by 2030. This commitment involves providing support through job creation, education, training, as well as active engagement in community and charitable initiatives, all aimed at making a meaningful difference in people's lives.
Robin Mills, Chief Executive Officer, Compass Group UK & Ireland: “I am delighted to welcome Carol to the Compass family. We are a people business – so this role is critical for the continued success of our organisation. We know as a large employer we have the ability to improve lives and make a difference. Carol is going to be integral to continuing to develop our people-centred culture as we continue to grow and evolve in the coming years.”
Carol Sommerville, Chief People Officer, Compass Group UK & Ireland added: “Compass has a clear and ambitious people agenda, having taken market leading positions in areas including apprenticeships, career pathways and the ED&I agenda. I am excited to have joined the business and have received such a warm welcome. I have had the pleasure of meeting many of our frontline teams as part of my induction and have been really impressed by people’s passion for their jobs and clients, and the caring culture that is in place. I am looking forward to supporting the company’s ongoing commitment to its people and creating a welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.”