South West law firm Lodders has appointed senior HR professional Sarah Naffine to the newly created role of HR director at the firm.

Sarah will work closely with Lodders' recently announced new managing partner, Paul Mourton, and brings more than 20 years of experience in providing day to day HR support and a strong track record of delivering strategic HR solutions.

She joins Lodders from award-winning private healthcare provider Prime Life, where she had been HR director since 1995, and executed the complete HR function for all 2,500 employees across 60 care homes and sites throughout the UK.

Lodders has more than 130 people across its offices in Cheltenham, Stratford upon Avon, Birmingham and Henley in Arden, and the new HR director role has been created as a 'direct result of the expansion of the business in the last five years', according to Paul Mourton.

He said: "As a multi-site firm, it is important that we continue to maintain the scale and focus of our growth strategy. People are the most important asset in the firm's future growth plans, and an effective HR function is essential in helping us to both recruit and retain talented individuals across all areas and locations of the business, and Sarah's experience and skills will ensure the strategy is supported by an effective HR function.

"Sarah brings a wealth of HR experience gained from working in senior HR roles, and will be working to provide strategic guidance on all people matters as well as developing our recruitment initiatives.

"Her experience is impressive and the impact of her HR advice and activity on the healthcare business where she worked previously, is evidenced in its substantial growth in annual turnover during her 20 years at the company, which is testament to her practical and strategic HR skills."

The appointment of an HR director is the latest in a series of senior recruits by Lodders, following Hilary Campton's appointment as marketing director, Alex Loquens as IT director, and Samantha Haines as director of compliance.

Sarah also has hospitality sector experience having worked as HR Officer for five years at the Forte Group, following which she moved to Prime Life.

Commenting on joining the firm, she said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to create and drive forward the HR function at Lodders and I am looking forward to working alongside Paul and the entire team.

"There are few roles that provide opportunity to deliver both strategic and hands-on operational HR support and initiatives, and I join the firm at an exciting time in its long history, with a new managing partner at the helm, an ambitious strategy for sustained growth, underpinned by a fantastic team from solicitors to support staff.

"I see many similarities between the healthcare and legal professions and my experience of working with highly qualified, academic professionals who have a focus on delivering the very best HR strategy to support the business will add depth and value to the role."

For more information about Lodders visit  www.lodders.co.uk  or call 01242 228370

Picture: Sarah Naffine (right) is law firm Lodders' first HR director, and will work closely with managing partner Paul Mourton (left).