Tony Vickers-Byrne

 "... leaving Bangor and moving to London was the most difficult decision I ever had to make and I still think about my time at university and living in Snowdonia every day."

“On the last day of my week staying in Dolgellau in October 2020, just before the 'firebreak' to try to control the spread in COVID-19, I went for a short walk by myself. My wife was 'working from home' in our holiday cottage and I set off from Dolgellau on a beautiful, clear morning to walk along the road to the Ty Nant car park.  I had started my walk up Cader Idris from Ty Nant earlier in the week.

I soon met Phil, originally from Essex, and his lovely border collie, who were also enjoying the glorious weather and scenery.

We shared stories of our love of Snowdonia and border collies. Almost 40 years earlier, my own dog Tess, from a farm just outside Bethesda, was a great favourite amongst my student and local friends during my teacher training year at Bangor University and my first year of work in Gwynedd Health Authority.

Since moving to Snowdonia several years ago, Phil talked about the physical loss he experienced every time he left the area, even for a few days.

I feel the same, always looking back to see the last glimpse of the mountains in the rear-view mirror as I headed south from one of my regular visits.

I had recently rediscovered via Facebook my two best friends, Helen and Simon, from my student days. They were now living in Majorca and Melbourne. We had had a reunion in Yorkshire in 2019 where stories from our student days abounded.

Although our life choices had separated us by thousands of miles we still all shared our love of student life in Bangor University and living in Snowdonia.

Coming from a sprawling Manchester Council estate to live in a small, proud community in beautiful surroundings, I never failed to appreciate how lucky I was to choose Bangor. The friendships, the support from academic staff and the friendly rivalry and banter with the local people were something I could not have experienced in a large city university.

In March 2020, as part of my 'farewell tour' as an HR director and consultant, just before my retirement from full-time work, I presented to a small group of students in Bangor on the importance of employers treating their employees with kindness and compassion and the benefits this style of management brings to organisations. I understand I was the last external visitor to the campus prior to lockdown a few days later.

Over the following months I watched as some of my former colleagues in Public Health England become media stars and 'virtual friends', helping us through those first few terrible months. In the national press and media and across social media, organisations who did not treat their people with kindness and compassion were 'outed'. As I retired, flexible working, employee mental health and diversity and inclusion were becoming key parts of every organisation's business strategy. The world of work has changed for the better.

My time studying and working in Bangor helped me to understand the importance of caring for each other and the environment. They played an important part in preparing me for my 25 years as an HR Director in the NHS and Civil Service.

On my last day playing cricket for Beaumaris in 1982, Les, our wicket keeper, and I walked around the boundary overlooking the river estuary and the mountains surrounding the Porthmadog ground. Les, a postman in Bangor, told me I would always regret leaving Snowdonia to move to London. "You're daft boy. How can you leave this?"

I don't regret my career in London and the south of England - I met my wife, worked with wonderful colleagues and brought Tess with me! But leaving Bangor and moving to London was the most difficult decision I ever had to make and I still think about my time at university and living in Snowdonia every day.

The excitement when I see the distant mountains and the Menai Straits, and my sense of calm and contentment when I am back walking on Bangor Pier, are wonderful gifts that I will always treasure.”

Career

Currently Chief Adviser to the Board of Armstrong Craven, a global talent mapping, pipelining, executive search and talent insight organisation.

Also a Trustee at the Royal Society for Public Health.

Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, with over 25 years’ experience at HR director level.

Public Health England's first HR Director in 2013.

Whilst at PHE, set up a compassionate management social movement whose work was taken on by Professor Sir Cary Cooper's National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work. The National Forum comprises c40 medical, HR and wellbeing directors from some of the largest organisations across the UK.

Up until retirement from full time employment in March 2020, was CIPD's Chief Adviser for HR Practice, travelling across the UK and Europe to ensure all the 150,000 plus CIPD members understand the importance of 'good work' and their key role in ensuring ethical management arrangements within their organisations.