Cadence Willis

Personal profile

A highly effective and engaging leader, well known for my enthusiasm, creativity and glass half-full approach. I’m a team player, with a passion for developing others and a track record of establishing high performing ESG/CSR, employee engagement, corporate communications, wellbeing and D&I teams in both the private and public sectors across multiple geographies.

I have a passion for bringing people together to make the world (including the workplace) a better place. Most recently as Collinson’s Global Director of Employee Engagement and Corporate Responsibility, I have the privilege of being the custodian of our purpose, working with our people and partners to make the change we want to see, both at Collinson and in our communities.

Relevant employment

February 2021 – current
Collinson Group
Global Director of Employee Engagement and Corporate Responsibility

Collinson Group is one of the UK’s fastest growing mid-market companies, trusted by major brands in the financial services and travel sectors to manage relationships with their customers. I joined the privately owned company during a period of transformation and growth to establish an employee engagement and corporate responsibility function, with a dual reporting line to the Chief People Officer, Joint CEOs and Chairman.

In February I was promoted to Director, reflecting the importance of this role to the business and progress made over the last two years.

Nov 2018 – February 2021
Collinson Group
Global Head of Employee Engagement and CSR

As a member of the senior leadership team, I’ve worked to deliver an ambitious cultural and technological transformation programme, build and develop global teams and navigate the business through the ongoing COVID -19 crisis which has significantly impacted our people, partners and the travel sector as a whole.

Key achievements:

Building a high performing Employee Engagement and Corporate Responsibility function across Collinson’s 20 global locations
Leading Collinson’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, responding to the evolving crisis which continues to significantly impact all operations across multiple markets
Delivering an ambitious digital transformation programme that is now connecting and engaging Collinson colleagues around the world using Workplace, Office365 and SharePoint
Leading Collinson’s Wellbeing and D&I agenda, working with our partners to drive an analytical and data-lead approach which has seen our Emotional Wellbeing Index increase from 62% to 70% in 2020, the establishment of a positive action group driving real change and commitment from the Board to invest further in 2021
Developing Collinson’s global corporate responsibility strategy, bringing together its people, partners and stakeholders to deliver a number of high profile partnerships and global programmes
Partnering with Vodafone and Goldman Sachs, as founding Beacons of the Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA), to develop global policy and establish support networks for people experiencing domestic abuse
Board approval to take a broader approach to Collinson’s ESG strategy and development of a three-year plan to deliver this

January 2018 – Nov 2018
University for the Creative Arts
Head of Communications and Public Engagement (contract)

I was contracted by the UK’s No.1 Specialist University for the Creative Industries to transform the way in which they manage communication and stakeholder engagement.

Key achievements:

Establishing an internal communications function
Developing an external communications strategy for the University
Leading a complex GDPR transformation programme
Working with local government and community stakeholders to secure approval for a number of highly visible construction projects

July 2016 – January 2018
Vodafone
Business Integration and Communications Manager

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer and as a member of the Technology Leadership Team, I was responsible for partnering