Jaguar Land Rover urges key staff to move abroad

Nov 17 2010 by Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail

TALENTED Jaguar Land Rover managers are being urged to scale the jobs ladder and “move out of leafy Warwickshire” – to China, Russia or the US.

Des Thurlby, human resources director at the Midlands biggest manufacturer, has told rising JLR stars that overseas postings are “critical” to career success.

Mr Thurlby said: “We’re getting to the point where we’re having some quite pointed conversations with people, where we’re saying, ‘listen matey, if you want to go to the top you’re going to have to go to China, Russia or the US.

“We’re an international business, we’re 70 per cent overseas. It’s critical you move out of leafy Warwickshire.

“We’re not saying you absolutely will not get to the board, but what we are saying is, this will make you a much stronger candidate and it will make the business better and we’ll do everything we can to help you.”