Emma West

Biography

Emma was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of DVLA in November 2014.

Education

Emma has a BA Hons degree (2:1) in English Literature from Durham University (1989). She successfully completed her Certificate of Coaching from Henley Business School in 2011.

Career

Emma has 25 years’ experience working in HR with 3 FTSE 100 companies - Cadbury, Unilever and Sainsbury’s. She spent much of her career working internationally in France, Russia and USA and has specialised in talent management and organisation development.

Her early career was spent with Cadbury Schweppes, where she gained a wide experience of business and HR change from start-ups to acquisitions, mergers and divestment, including a period of time working for Private Equity. She then joined Unilever to lead their global talent management and organisation development functions.

Most recently Emma was Director of Talent and Capability at Sainsbury’s, one of the largest private sector employers in the UK, where her responsibilities included resourcing, learning and development, talent management and diversity.

She is an accredited coach and works with individuals, both on a paid and a pro bono basis, to help them realise their potential.

Emma was appointed as Chair of Inspire! (the education and business partnership in Hackney) in 2012, having served as a Trustee for 3 years. Inspire! works with young people from Hackney and surrounding areas to enable them to achieve their ambitions. She was previously a Trustee of the Cadbury Charitable Foundation.