Samantha Screene joins Synechron's HR team in London

Global financial services consultancy Synechron has appointed a new Associate Director to its human resources team in London. Samantha Screene is a professional with more than 20 years of experience in the HR field.

With heightened competition, as digital disruption sees a number of new up-and-coming firms able to compete with top entities for key talent, the human resources function has become increasingly important across all industries. In the knowledge-intensive realm of financial and professional services, this pressure is being felt particularly acutely.

Since its launch in 2001, just as the dot-com bubble burst, Synechron – a global technology organisation providing innovative solutions to the financial space – has grown into one of the globe’s leading technology and consulting firms for the financial services sector. As the consultancy looks to support clients amid intensifying competition for staff, with the UK’s labour market tightening thanks to an ageing population and anxieties around Brexit, Synechron has installed a new Associate Director in its HR division.

The appointment of Samantha Screene brings over 20 years of HR experience to Synechron’s London office, as the veteran professional arrives from the Direct Line Group. In that last engagement, she was responsible for leading an HR Business Partner team to co-create a three-year people strategy, which included a new performance framework, simplifying and reducing enterprise policies and improving employee engagement and experience. Before taking her role with RBS’ HR division, which would later be bought by Direct Line, in 2008 she was appointed HR Business Partner for T-Mobile, and led the HR element of the business during its merger with Orange. Screene also previously worked across a wide range of industries, with companies including RBS, Tesco, Raytheon and IVAX.

Screene will be reporting to John Gaunt, CHRO at Synechron, while her addition to the team will build on the Employee 2020 initiative announced earlier this year. The scheme promotes the five key values of the business to current staff and prospective candidates; focusing on ambition, innovation, empowerment, responsibility and a drive for excellence. The Employee 2020 aims to attract fresh new talent to the business while recognising the achievements of its current team through rewards, career progression and mentorship opportunities.

Commenting on the news, Tony Clark, Managing Director at Synechron UK, said, “We are committed to striving for excellence – not only in the services we provide, but also in the way we engage with our staff and invest in our people. Samantha’s extensive experience across a broad range of industries will ensure that employees across all areas of the business – from technology to sales – have the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in their role.”

Samantha Screene herself added, “Financial services can be a highly pressurised environment, so it is important that staff feel supported. HR plays a key role in achieving that goal and building a team that feels motivated and engaged. As an innovative and faced-paced company, Synechron understands the enormous value that employees produce every day and I am thrilled to be leading this part of the business.”