HR Director Jean Tomlin oversaw the successful London 2012 Olympics staffing, coordinating a team of 200,000, including 8,000 paid staff, 70,000 volunteers, and around 100,000 contractors. Jean's leadership in recruitment, training, and HR operations for the event earned her an OBE in 2013 and the CIPD Special Achievement Award in 2012.
Before her role at the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), Jean held senior HR positions at Egg, Prudential, and Marks & Spencer plc and served as an executive advisor to the BBC. She started her career at Ford as a graduate trainee focusing on personnel, training, and labour relations.
Post-Olympics, Jean founded her consultancy firm, Chanzo, which specialises in operational effectiveness and recruitment for major events and sports sectors. She continues to share her expertise in human resources, change management, and leadership as a speaker.
Jean also holds several prestigious non-executive roles. She serves on the boards of Sainsbury’s and Michael Kors and is a trustee and board director of John in Trust and Step Up to Serve. Her involvement extends to being a Council Member at Loughborough University, a Qualifications and Curriculum Advisory Board member, the Race Relations Advisory Group, and a Commissioner for Judicial Appointments. Additionally, she is a Trustee of CIDA, a self-funding South African university.
Jean is a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has served as Vice President of organisation Design and member of the CIPD Enterprise Board.