Giving members an insight into HR careers and the variety of different ways you can join the profession.

About this event

Giving members an insight into HR careers and the variety of different ways you can join the profession.

Real Career Stories. Practical Insights. Professional Development with CIPD.

Are you looking to accelerate your HR career but unsure of the next step? Whether you're just starting out or aiming for senior leadership, this engaging session will give you practical insight into what it really takes to progress in today’s HR profession.


Join us for an inspiring event focused on real HR career journeys, featuring two experienced professionals who are successfully navigating different pathways within the profession.


What to Expect

Two HR career hourneys – Lessons from the frontline

Hear directly from two HR professionals as they share:

  • How they started their careers in HR
  • The challenges they faced — and how they overcame them
  • Key decisions that shaped their progression
  • The skills, behaviours and experiences that made the biggest difference
  • What they wish they had known earlier in their careers


From entry-level roles to senior leadership, these honest and practical reflections will offer valuable insight no matter where you are in your career



Guest speakers profiles:

Laura Johnston is a strategic HR professional with extensive experience shaping people initiatives that support organisational growth, capability and culture. Laura is CIPD Level 7 qualified and a Chartered Member of the CIPD (MCIPD), and she serves as Chair of the CIPD Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Committee. She is also certified in Prosci Change Management principles, having completed her certification in June 2024.


Prior to her current role, Laura spent 11 years at DNV, most recently as Global People Manager and Change Management Project Manager for the GSS Ahead Programme — a global initiative impacting 1,500 employees focused on automating and redesigning the Global Shared Services function. Before that, she served as Senior HR Business Partner at DNV from August 2015 to September 2022 ,where she drove the delivery of key HR strategic programmes within the Oil and Gas sector and led succession management projects that reduced attrition rates by 3%.


Known for her proactive, resilient and collaborative working style, Laura is skilled in using workforce data to influence decisions, improve engagement and drive commercial outcomes. She is experienced in influencing senior stakeholders, providing strategic advice and data-driven insights, and partnering with leadership teams on the continued implementation of People & Culture strategy.



Samantha Cotter

Samantha Cotter is a qualified employment lawyer, who has worked in private practice, in-house, and now leads the Learning & Development team at Knights, a professional services firm with 32 offices across England and Wales.


Samantha started her journey into HR when she decided to complete a Masters in Human Resources Management, originally to better understand her clients, Samantha discovered her passion for all things strategic HR and that realisation has shaped her career since, taking the opportunity to move into an in-house HR role within Knights.


Passionate about people development and ensuring colleagues can achieve their potential, Samantha made the move into Learning & Development in May 2025 allowing her to make a greater impact in the area that aligns with her personal and professional goals.


Please note:

1. Webinar joining instructions will be sent to you again 1 day before the event, with a further reminder, 30 minutes prior to the event starting.

2. The session may be recorded and shared with people afterwards. Please bear this in mind and have your camera off if you do not wish for your image to be shared.

3. The chat function will be used for participants to engage with the webinar, so just be mindful of the login name you use and ensure you are happy for other people to see this.

4. For security reasons, it is requested that participants join the live session 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and with the same name as registered on Eventbrite as not doing so may cause a delay or non-admittance to the event.

5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.

6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate