The People and Compliance team at Allied are at the heart of the business. We sat down with Director of People & Compliance, Diarmid McBride, to get to know the team and learn more about what they do.
Mission and Purpose
Our team covers a wide and varied remit, so being concise is never easy. At its core, we exist to attract, recruit, develop and support great people across Allied, while ensuring the business remains compliant, safe and well run.
From recruitment and learning, to pay and benefits such as holiday purchase and SmartTech, we help make Allied a great place to work. We support local charities, keep colleagues informed about what’s happening across the business, and play a key role in keeping our people safe, healthy and well.
Alongside this, we ensure compliance across employment law, data protection and health & safety, and help the business retain important accreditations such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001. That’s just a snapshot of what the team delivers every day.
Team Members
We’re a close‑knit, collaborative team with a broad range of experience. From long‑standing colleagues to new starters, everyone plays an important part.
Michaela Lynch, People & Recruitment Manager, will celebrate her 10th anniversary later this year. At the other end of the scale, our newest team member, People Co‑ordinator Taylor Fisher, joined us at the beginning of March. We’re also delighted to be welcoming a new addition to the team; our Assistant People Advisor Helen Griffiths will be joining Allied early April.
Megan Rooney ensures everyone gets paid (always a priority!) alongside her role as People Advisor. Cara Hirrel, Recruitment Advisor, focuses on attracting new talent into Allied. Brian Kilpatrick, OH & Wellbeing Advisor, and Hugh Graham, Group HSE Manager, look after the health, safety and wellbeing of our people.
Gemma Zak‑Duport and her Comms & Culture team – James Sharp and Kevin Gilmartin – help build strong links with the local community, manage PR and awards submissions, distribute funds for the Allied Vehicles Charitable Trust, create content for Allied Extra, coordinate Communications Champions meetings, and support employee engagement across the business.
Jim Fingland, L&D Manager, supports the development of our people, from apprentices building their careers to teams and individuals growing their skills.
Last, but certainly not least, is Craig Roberts, Internal Audit & Quality Systems Manager. Craig oversees business compliance across key areas such as GDPR and works closely with departments to ensure we’re ready for external audits. He also spent time as “interim” HSE Manager while we recruited Hugh – a role he assures us he was delighted to hand over!
Day-to-Day
No two days are ever the same. Regular activities include responding to Data Subject Access Requests, sourcing and coordinating training, attending community meetings, and ensuring employees are appropriately insured to drive company vehicles.
We coach apprentices, review charitable funding requests, interview colleagues for Allied Extra features, undertake investigations, recruit for approved vacancies, issue offers of employment, process payroll, and deliver our weekly Wednesday induction.
We also prepare for ISO audits, support departments with risk assessments and health surveillance, assist colleagues on long‑term sickness absence, and, of course, respond to whatever lands in the inbox each day.
Notable Achievements
One of our most recent achievements was securing our sixth consecutive RoSPA Gold Award. This was a significant accomplishment, particularly as the submission was completed by Craig while he was also part of the team working towards ISO 27001 certification and preparing for our ISO 9001 surveillance audit.
All were successfully achieved – and Craig even managed the occasional smile along the way!
Challenges and Solutions
People‑related work is fast‑moving and constantly changing, with no two days ever quite the same. Pragmatism and resilience are essential within the team, alongside an understanding that there will always be the odd bump in the road – all of which can be navigated with the right approach.
Why It Matters
Everything we do at Allied starts with our people. The team plays a vital role in supporting colleagues, strengthening the business, and helping Allied operate responsibly, safely and successfully.
