REBECCA WHIPS

Private Equity-Backed Healthcare Group | National Footprint | 500+ Employees

Appointed as the first HR hire to build and lead the People & Culture function for a fast-scaling, acquisition-driven organisation. Operating in a high-growth environment with approximately 7 acquisitions and 100 new team members per year, responsible for embedding a scalable people strategy aligned to organisational goals.

Key Contributions

• Scaled the People & Culture team from 0 to 7 in 18 months, building capability across HR operations, recruitment, learning, and strategic HR support.
• Designed and implemented a group-wide HR strategy aligned with company objectives, enabling scalability through acquisition and organic growth.
• Lead People & Culture representation at the Senior Leadership Team and Board level; report directly to the CEO.
• Introduced key enabling systems, including an HRIS and LMS, to reduce administrative burden and support compliance, onboarding, and learning across a distributed workforce.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation across HR operations to enable a high-performing, values-aligned organisation.
• Provide end-to-end executive HR support and strategic advice, with a strong focus on compliance, risk mitigation, and workforce planning.
• Support a national field team of 500+ with full accountability for employment compliance, talent integration, and post-acquisition cultural alignment.
• Deliver data-driven initiatives, including the design and rollout of bespoke learning programs to drive capability uplift engagement, conversion rates and broader production efforts.
• Partner with the CEO to foster an engaged, high-performing culture across a rapidly expanding business.

Annalect, Adylic, and TRKKN are high-growth martech agencies within the OMD Group, spanning data analytics, dynamic creative optimisation, and cloud solutions. Brought in on a 6-month contract to provide strategic HR leadership across all three businesses, partnering with the C-suite to scale people operations, embed foundational practices, and enable commercial performance through culture, capability, and organisational clarity.

• Built and embedded core people practices across onboarding, performance, workforce planning, and organisational design, enabling 22% headcount growth across OMD Group’s martech portfolio.
• Rebalanced team structures and clarified accountabilities, driving a 15% uplift in delivery velocity across key commercial projects.
• Introduced agile ways of working (including Kanban, Psychological Safety, and Social Contracts), strengthening cross-functional collaboration and team effectiveness.
• Refreshed the EVP and launched four employee engagement programs, enhancing retention and reducing early attrition in high-growth teams.
• Designed and led the D&I roadmap, resulting in an 18% increase in female leadership representation within five months.
• Oversaw the people workstream for Adylic’s demerger, partnering with Legal and the C-suite to ensure continuity, cultural alignment, and a successful onboarding and structure reset.
• Acted as principal advisor to leadership on employment law, WHS, and Fair Work matters, embedding risk-aware governance and compliance across all people practices.

Led the APAC people function for a high-growth insurtech during a period of expansion and IPO readiness. Supported the C-suite and senior leadership to drive performance, scale capability, and build the infrastructure for sustainable growth across multiple geographies.

Key Contributions

• Led operations for a 200+ global team, with direct people leadership of the HR Coordinator.
• Designed and implemented global people initiatives across performance, reward, succession, learning, and workforce planning.
• Partnered with C-suite to support IPO readiness, introducing a new global organisational framework and foundational HR infrastructure.
• Played a lead role in the acquisition of Booking Protect, partnering with Legal and the Founders on organisation design, contract and benefits alignment, and post-acquisition onboarding.
• Owned and optimised all external HR vendor relationships and procurement, supporting scalable global delivery.
• Rolled out group-wide cyclical programs including bi-annual performance reviews, succession planning, and career pathways.
• Developed and formalised core people policies (e.g. secondments, internal transfers, relocation, expenses) to support a growing, mobile workforce.
• Coached mid-to-senior leaders across regions on leadership style, performance management, and team development.
• Launched global people initiatives including Accelerated Promotions, Return to Work pathways, and Career Placements to support progression and retention.

Led the global People & Culture function through a period of rapid growth and evolution. Partnered with the executive team to shape strategy across HR, talent acquisition, culture, and community, embedding scalable people infrastructure and enabling a high-performance culture.

Key Contributions

• Developed HR, recruitment, and community strategy globally, managing a team of three across HR and operations.
• Evolved talent acquisition strategy to ensure EPIC attracted the right people, reducing time-to-hire by 25%, eliminating agency spend, and embedding strength-based hiring practices.
• Implemented a fit-for-purpose HRIS, resulting in a 30% uplift in process efficiency and improved reporting capability.
• Developed and launched an employee recognition program, contributing to a 20% increase in retention.
• Designed and led community and engagement initiatives, including monthly showcases and “Return to Base Fridays,” fostering connectivity and shared purpose.
• Delivered an external community strategy that increased brand visibility and led to an 80% uplift in external job applications.
• Provided hands-on HR support across case management, performance coaching, and policy design while building long-term, scalable frameworks for growth.
• Steered people and culture through a high-growth phase, ensuring alignment to EPIC’s values and maintaining a performance-driven culture through scale.

Led senior interim recruitment across the digital marketing space, supporting a diverse client portfolio spanning multiple sectors. Focused on sourcing, coaching, and placing management to executive-level talent, while driving commercial outcomes through high-impact placements.

Key Contributions

• Managed a growing portfolio of clients, delivering tailored talent solutions across digital strategy, performance marketing, and content.
• Placed 20 senior digital marketing professionals within 10 months across a range of sectors and organisational structures.
• Established and scaled a high-performing contractor book, generating over $6,500/week and delivering $300K+ in annualised revenue.
• Provided end-to-end career coaching and advisory to senior candidates navigating interim and consulting opportunities.
• Designed and facilitated onboarding and training for junior recruiters, contributing to broader team capability and performance.