Visionary Solutions was created by Colin Shaw MMgt, Dip.Teach, MAHRI, GAICD who has worked in both private and public companies for the past twenty years.
Specialising in the Human Resources functional area has been one of opportunity and desire to build the understanding of the people factor in business and the influence this has on the future of a business.
Through a career spanning across the telecommunications, publishing, and equipment hire industries Colin has developed continual best practice strategies that has built workforce engagement to the point where it has had a major effect on building sustained profitability and growth.
Colin's career was highlighted by his recent role of Group General Manager - HR at Coates Hire which is an aggressively growing business through major acquisitions, organic growth, and business efficient strategies.
Where has Colin and Visionary Solutions shown the capacity to achieve?
- Designed an IR strategy at a prominent Rail Services company which eliminated multiple employment conditions into one succinct Employee Collective Agreement reducing operational ‘down time’ costs significantly.
- Provided restructuring advice to a leading medical research company leading to no litigation or union initiated lost time.
- Provided due diligence report and investigation for major acquisition for a rail services company including an implementation plan and strategy.
- Provided organistional structure advice and HR data analysis to a leading retail company leading to reduced stock carry costs, development of turnover reduction strategy, and a business leader succession plan.
- Developed a performance bonus model for a leading consulting firm.
- Developed policies and procedures for a leading heavy equipment supplier to align to the company’s vision and strategies.
- Developed and facilitated a series of training programs for a leading heavy equipment supplier in performance management, performance counseling, harassment, discrimination, bullying, and behavioural interviewing techniques across Australia and NZ.
- Project managed a recruitment drive across Chile and Peru for skilled labour unavailable in Australia.
- Successfully provided recruitment services and planning for executive management positions in the medical, heavy equipment, security and retail sectors.
- Provided restructuring coaching to Managing Directors of Medical, Retail, Music Publishing, and Industrial companies.
- Coached a HR Director in the successful implementation of a SAP project.
- Generated a HR strategic document for leading retail company.
- Developed employee handbooks for various companies.
Where has Colin achieved results in his career?
Colin’s HR career began when he joined Alcatel Australia , firstly as the Security and Safety Manager before progressing to a Divisional HR Manager in five years, while also studying for his Masters degree in Management during this time.
From telecommunications and into publishing with Australian Consolidated Press where he was the first HR Director ever employed in the PBL group, setting up operational systems and developing strategies for an integrated HR function including project managing workers compensation self regulation in Victoria which was a multimillion dollar positive impact on the bottom line. Coates Hire represented the next challenge in a ASX top 150 international company. Success at Coates was reflected in:
- Bringing stability to an antagonistic Industrial Relations environment
- Led a major acquisition integration of a major competitor which was later described as ‘textbook’ by the Coates Hire Board.
- Led a major company change program with the Chief Information Officer. This program was a $12m ERP introduction which was successfully integrated on time and on budget.
- Recipients of the ‘2004 Mature Age Champions Award’ from the federal government for the strategies implemented with regards older workers.
- Coates HR strategy has been used in a case study by Robert K. Critchley in his book, ‘Doing Nothing is Not an Option – Facing the Imminent Labor Crisis’, published in 2004.
- High engagement scoring in the Hewitt’s best Employer survey for the first year of participation.
- Strategies achieved 15% employee productivity improvement over a two year period.
- Appointed as part of the Coates Leadership team to oversee company strategy and performance, and formed part of the Board Human Resources subcommittee.
- Established a value adding HR functional team integrated into the business
Colin’s experience and achievements have been recognised through the University of Wollongong where he has taught students in Strategic Management, Organisational Behaviour, and Change Management in the university’s Bachelor/Master of Business program.