Michael Williams

Talent Acquisition Lead ✦ RL100 Member ✦ Views are my own

Over 19 years experience and have previously worked at HSBC, UBS and BNY Mellon. I am very passionate about my work and have had the privilege to partner with Global Banks and Financial Institutions in the identification and attraction to hire senior leaders, ranging from C-Suite to Board level across the UK, Europe, North America and APAC. 

Experience working at the intersection of Executive Recruitment, Talent Intelligence, Talent Management and Workforce Planning, I support HR Leaders in building high-performing teams that drive growth and transformation. 

Core Specialties:
➝ Executive Recruitment & Talent Acquisition (C-Suite, CEO -1 and -2 level, MD, Board).
➝ Talent Intelligence, Market Insights & Competitor Benchmarking.
➝ Workforce Planning, Succession Strategy & Leadership Assessment.
➝ Senior Stakeholder Management & People Leadership.
➝ Direct sourcing & Vendor Management.
➝ Successfully built a TA function from the ground up.
➝ Built C-Suite Leadership teams via direct sourcing channels and networks.

Industry Focus:
➝ Banking, Financial Services, Wholesale Banking, Asset Management, Investment Management, Private Bank, Investment Banking.
➝ Front Office, Middle Office, Corporate and Control Functions.

Chartered MCIPD qualified professional who has a data-driven and hands-on approach, combining analytical insight with strategic execution to deliver measurable impact in leadership hiring and talent strategy.

Head of Talent

Recruitment Lead responsible for all lines of business hiring from entry to Board level, covering Corporate Functions through to the FrontI office. 

2021 Achievements:
→ Recruitment Framework & Governance Implementation 
→ IR35 Lead (Successful HMRC Audit)
→ Reduced time to hire to 41 days

2022 Achievements:
→ ATS Implementation 
→ Talent Management Framework Design
→ Gender Diversity recruitment policy implementation 

2023 Achievements (YTD):
→ Direct recruitment model implementation 
→ Direct Recruitment (91% YTD)
→ Internal Mobility (63% increase YTD)
→ Branding

Key Placements:
→ European Chief Risk Officer, London
→ Chief Risk Officer, Paris
→ European Head of Internal Audit
→ UK MLRO / European Head of Financial Crime
→ European Chief Financial Officer
→ Head of Market Risk & Reporting
→ Head of Credit Risk
→ Head of Enterprise Risk Management 
→ Head of Operations 
→ Head of Business Management
→ European Head of Banking
→ European Head of IT
→ Head of Communications - Europe
→ European Head of Treasury & Financial Markets
→ Business Manager to the CEO, IB

Global Banking & Corporate Functions Talent Acquisition | Natixis Corporate & Investment Bank

City Of London, England, United Kingdom (On-site)

Job by Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking

Director, Relationship Manager - Real Estate Structured Finance  

We are recruiting for this Chief Client Office UK CIB vacancy at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking in London, UK

Currently recruiting for the below Murex Support Specialist FTC at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking

We are recruiting for this new Director, Real Estate Finance - Relationship Manager vacancy at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking.

A great permanent opportunity for a Senior Murex Support Specialist (with FO module and experience of M 3.1) to join the team in London at Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking.

Senior Murex Support Specialist (Front Office)  

Hannah Yurk

I help HR Managers thrive in global roles, demonstrate their expertise and value, and unlock career growth, by speaking confident and effective English in meetings.

English Specialist for HR Managers | Founder of Speak HR

Newborns, Limited.

- Planning and Project Management
- Time Management & Prioritisation
- Empathetic leadership
- Effective communication through active listening
- Negotiation and conflict resolution
- People Management
- Crisis management and adaptability

Stay-at-Home Parent

British School Verona

Planned, prepared and delivered stimulating and appropriate lessons both in school and off site to adults for Business English, General English and exam preparation. Qualified and worked as a Cambridge Speaking Examiner (FCE, KEY, PET, YLE).

Cambridge Speaking Examiner and English Teacher

Break Into English

Developed the company's range of English language learning content for their blog, Youtube and Facebook through articles, video lessons and social media. Pursued new partnerships with other English learning websites in order to increase the company's online visibility. Built a Youtube video lesson channel with 40+ self-directed videos. Converted potential clients into paying students by teaching free trial lessons.

Online English Academy Manager and Administrator

Stafford House International

Provided exceptional support to both the management and teaching teams by assisting with all aspects of academic management and proactively fostering teacher development through mentoring and training. 

Selected contributions:

* Ensured consistently high levels of positive student satisfaction by conducting monthly and ad hoc student tutorial meetings that offered counselling and support with students' academic aims whilst immediately attending to any issues.

* Delivered ongoing professional development to teachers through formal observations and giving constructive feedback, guidance with DELTA preparation and leading a variety of in-house training seminars. These included 'Authentic Materials in Use', 'The Lexical Approach', 'Differentiation', 'Autonomous Learning' and 'Developing Listening Skills' (also presented at the Stafford House Cambridge conference in 2016). 

* Deputised and performed more senior academic management duties while continuing to succeed in the senior teacher role, leading to an official promotion to Assistant Director of Studies. 

*Trained and experienced in interviewing CELTA candidates, Cambridge exam invigilating.

Senior Teacher and Interim Assistant Director of Studies 

Designed and taught innovative, creative and dynamic lessons to a wide variety of multilingual students of differing ages and levels, taking a special interest in continuing professional development and utilising technological resources. Maintained up-to-date knowledge of current teaching practices by regularly attending professional development seminars.  Shared industry knowledge with fellow teachers by giving workshops and through a mentoring 'buddy' system: engaging in shared reflective discussion about conducted experimental classroom practice.

English Language Teacher

Link School of English in London

Tailored and delivered engaging lessons for small groups and one-to-ones, with a focus on students requiring English for Business purposes and English to live in the UK.

Business English Language Teacher

SELC Education Group

Taught shared multi-lingual classes and elective courses; organised and led a variety of social programme activities for students around Sydney, particularly with a learning focus.

Infinity Media and Communications

Account Manager

Sensometrics

Product Testing Operations Supervisor

BALGOWLAH R S L MEMORIAL CLUB

Catering Supervisor

Is your English stopping you from appearing as the expert HR Manager you truly are?

Let me know if this is you 👇

👉 You prepare a lot for English meetings because speaking spontaneously feels impossible and you’re afraid you won’t find the right words.

👉 You stay quiet in meetings and miss opportunities to share valuable ideas, because you feel like your English is the worst in the room

👉 You don’t perform your job the best because you don’t feel comfortable speaking English, and you feel senior managers don’t have a good impression of you.

If you answered “Yes,” you’re not alone.

Most multilingual HR Managers I meet are facing these exact challenges.

Even if you’ve studied English for years, traditional classes haven’t prepared you for the demands of your HR role.

That’s because most English classes:
❌ Focus too much on grammar or general conversation and vocabulary
❌ Don’t teach the real-world communication skills HR professionals need, like leading discussions, reporting results, or handling tough questions in meetings
❌ Don’t give you enough opportunities to practice SPEAKING!

Because of this, many talented HR Managers miss opportunities for promotions or better-paid positions in multinational companies.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Imagine stepping into any meeting feeling confident, prepared, and sure of yourself.

You’re expressing your ideas clearly, contributing effectively, and being recognised as a leader in your field.

You’re thriving in your global role and ready to take on new challenges.

"How am I going to get to that stage?" I hear you ask.

Here’s how:

With my Speak HR Accelerator program, you’ll go from hesitating in English-speaking meetings to confidently demonstrating your expertise in just 12 weeks.

Working with me, you’ll :
✔Develop confidence in your English communication so you stop holding back.
✔Express your thoughts clearly and naturally in English so you sound like the professional you are
✔Manage unexpected questions in meetings without so much anxiety
✔Speak up and lead conversations in meetings so you can demonstrate your expertise
✔Open doors to better roles, promotions, and recognition in your career.

My programs have already helped over 80 HR Professionals to thrive in global roles and achieve their career goals.

Are you tired of holding back in meetings? 
Are you ready to speak with confidence and show your true potential?

Let’s talk.

Send me a message with the words 'Speak HR' and I'll tell you how I can help you.

Hannah Y.

This month marks 5 years since I started Speak HR, and to celebrate I am excited to finally announce the launch of this new project.

From the start, my mission has never been just helping HR professionals “improve their English.”

It’s been to support you to find your confident voice, show your expertise when speaking English at work and make the impact you want to make.

Over the past five years, I’ve spoken with hundreds of highly talented HR professionals who hesitate in English meetings.

Many have told me there are very few opportunities to talk about their work in English in a safe and meaningful way, outside the scrutiny of managers and colleagues.

For a long time, I’ve wanted to create a space for that.

So I’m absolutely delighted to share that it’s finally here, five years in the making.

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗛𝗥 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 is a 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 created exclusively for HR professionals working in English-speaking environments who want their communication to reflect their expertise.

Inside, you’ll find:

 • Monthly live trainings focused on developing professional HR communication

 • Speak HR Connect - a monthly live conversation with international HR peers

 • Exclusive tools and downloadable resources

 • A global HR community of professionals working in (or moving into) English-speaking workplaces

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗛𝗥. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗥. 𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵.

If you are a multilingual HR professional with:

 • A real passion for HR and the impact of your work

 • An ambition to contribute fully in English-speaking professional environments

… I would genuinely love to welcome you inside.

You can join for free here: 

https://lnkd.in/dFd5zciB 

I’ll also be sharing details of the first live training and events inside the community very soon. 😉

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Helping HR speak, sound & feel like the experts they are - in high-stakes English meetings → Lead discussions, influence decisions & advance your career with my Speak HR Accelerator programme.

Something I notice again and again when HR professionals prepare a presentation or a short update in English:

They spend a lot of time thinking about the words.

Is this the right term?
Does this sound professional enough?
Is my vocabulary advanced enough?

And I get that, because you want to be accurate and precise.

But what often gets much less attention is the structure of the message and how it lands with the audience.

So the presentation ends up sounding fine at sentence level…
but the listener is left wondering:

 • What’s the main point here?
 • Why does this matter to us?
 • How does this connect to what we’re already doing?
 • What happens next?

The reason is often a clarity issue. 

When you’re close to your work, the logic feels obvious because you know the context and the constraints.

So you focus on choosing the “right” words, instead of guiding your audience through your thinking.

Clear communication means shifting your attention:

from vocabulary → to structure,
from sounding good → to being understood,
from what you know → to what they need to follow.

And that’s something you can absolutely learn.

💡 In the carousel, I share a few simple techniques and phrases that help you structure updates and presentations so your audience immediately understands the outcome, the relevance, and the next step.


 ♻️ If this helped you, please repost so others learn too or 📩 save it to read again.

Let me know in the comments below:

🔹Which is more important: speaking clearly or speaking with perfect grammar?

_____________________

I help multilingual HR Managers speak, sound and feel like the HR experts they are when communicating in English.

Follow or connect with me for more content like this.

How to Express yourself More Clearly in your next Meeting

I was chatting with someone recently who said they “kind of fell into HR.”

There was no big dream from when they were a child - just a decision made in a moment that turned into a career.

And she’s not the only one. I’ve heard this story a lot. 

Some people arrive in HR with the intention from the start, but others come to it later in life and even by chance.

It made me think about how my career path was completely unconventional; I started out studying journalism, then filmmaking, and I’ve changed career direction several times.

So I’m curious:
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗥 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹?

 
Whether you fell into it or fought for it, I’d love to hear your story. 

_____________________
Hi, I'm Hannah. I post about HR, English communication, confidence and meetings. 

🌟 If that interests you, look at the Featured section on my profile for a free copy of 'The HR Professional Phrase Book'

Have you ever presented an HR initiative in an English meeting…
and felt like it didn’t create the reaction you expected?

You shared your passion for the project.

You explained the background and walked them through your thinking.

And still, the room felt neutral.

No real energy and no clear sign that leadership truly saw the importance of it.

Afterwards, you might think: 

“My English is just not good enough for this.”

This is something I hear all the time from multilingual HR professionals.

They know their work is strategic; it impacts retention, engagement and 
performance.

And yet sometimes it’s perceived as operational.
Or worse, as just another cost.

Feeling that your ideas are valuable but they aren't perceived that way is incredibly frustrating.

Often, the issue isn’t just a matter of English level - it’s how the idea is positioned in the conversation.

Tomorrow, I’ll explain what I mean by that, and the small shifts that can change how your ideas are received.

But first, I’d love to hear from you:

👉 Do you agree that HR initiatives are often not as valued as others’ in a meeting?

_____________________ 
Hi, I’m Hannah. I help multilingual HR Managers speak with confidence and authority in English meetings, so their communication reflects their expertise.

➜ Join my free community, ‘Speak HR International’, for live training and events on these topics. 

Click “View my website” to learn more.

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The Battle

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