HR and Training Awards 2017

10 CORPORATE VISION / 2017 HR & Training Awards , Shire is a leader in rare disease and neuroscience pharmaceuticals. We profile Shire and its podteam, Claire Debney and Ama Zbarcea, as we look to gain an in-depth insight into the workings of the organisation. Best Transformation & Leadership Development Program - Global Founded more than 30 years ago, Shire has long believed that it has a unique opportunity to champion under-served patient communities. Today, Shire is a global leader in rare diseases. Determined to realise the vision of General Counsel Bill Mordan, the pod team at Shire, comprising of Claire and Ama, are building on this position in delivering a unique transformation project called pod . pod is a multi-layered programme with the three pillars of interdependence of people, operations and development, each an essential part of any transformation. pod’s tagline is ‘connect today, transform tomorrow.’ With this approach, every element of pod is rooted in a visual delivery, from the branding of the pod logo and icons representing each pod mini- project, to the vine-style videos and infographic approach to FAQs and how-to guides. This communication strategy revolves around simplifying complex projects to help internal and external audiences quickly understand and connect with the impact of pod . What helps make the pod initiative stand out is the pod team itself. Many teams are formed of people who gravitate toward each other as a result of having common ground in the way they think and approach problems. Claire and Ama have formed a complementary partnership as a result of bringing together different backgrounds and strengths. Looking into each member of the team, Claire has an impressive background as a corporate lawyer, practicing for over 20 years in the UK and Australia, including for FTSE 20 UK company, Reckitt Benckiser and Fortune 100 US company Gillette. Ama has a background in web design and specialist technology for medical professionals, having also worked for Fortune 100 US company, Oracle, and gained legal experience from having worked with Claire at Reckitt Benckiser. As a result, Claire brings a learned and measured approach to managing teams and a deep understanding of in-house legal life, enhanced by her more recent qualifications as an Executive Coach and Gallup StrengthsFinder coach, while Ama brings an understanding of technology, operations and project management, enhanced by her more recent English law degree. Additionally, their strengths are closely aligned with their areas of expertise, Claire has an extraordinary talent for blue sky thinking and coming up with revolutionary ideas, while Ama excels at turning ideas into execution, efficiently progressing from the big picture, to the details, to the final product. The pod team’s synergy is the key to consistently delivering programmes that exceed expectations and draw rave reviews. pod is an all-encompassing transformation project for Shire’s Global Legal Department. In just seven months, the pod team has developed and launched the pod academy, a bespoke training programme, designed specifically to meet the needs of the Global Legal Department. It is comprised of in-person and virtual sessions and one-on-one coaching delivered over a 10-month period. By the end of the year, a pilot will launch for mentor pod, a technology- enabled programme empowering mentors and mentees to self-match into long-term, short-term and project-based relationships. Element of pod , planned to be delivered over the next 24 months. These upcoming projects include pod room, a virtual campus providing online learning opportunities and resources tailored specifically for the legal team. pod path is another programme in progress, which encompasses the Global Legal Department’s structure and helps every member of the legal team identify next steps in his or her career along with an action plan to get there. Building on this foundation, pod pool is a recruitment and support system to onboard Best​​Transformation​​&​​Leadership​​Development​​Program - Global HR170005 and develop interns, graduates and trainees in the legal department, exposing them to the changing legal industry early on. There are also new operational projects called pod apps, a new way of delivering instant access to key information, on demand, and info pod , a portal displaying information about the people in the Global Legal Department, Shire’s products and the touchpoints between them. Essentially, the pod team at Shire have a wonderful HR business partner who is very excited about the upcoming development projects, and in particular the mentor pod initiative, as Shire has no formal mentoring programmes, and a dedicated IT business partner who is uniquely attuned to the department’s needs. Both are invaluable assets to making pod a reality. The goal is for the various elements of pod to grow to encompass other parts of the organisation or be emulated in other parts of Shire to meet the specific needs of each department as we have done for legal. pod is a reflection of Bill Mordan’s commitment to his team and the Shire Global Legal Department’s future. There is much more planned for pod , and the vision is for pod to be “innovation led by legal” for Shire as well as the greater in-house legal community.