Ferdie Kruger
CHRO
Peabody Energy
Ferdie Kruger has over 29 years of experience in the human resources field as a generalist with specialisation in industrial relations and organisational restructures. His career encompasses working and living in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Ferdie is currently the chief human resources officer for Peabody with responsibility for global human resources service delivery in the United States, Australia and China.
Ferdia has a law degree and honours degree in industrial and organisational psychology.
He is a keen gardener and continues to improve his barbecue skills. He was also a lieutenant in the South African Army's Intelligence Corps.
Learn more about the Australia CHRO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I started my career in 1995 as a training officer with Holcim (cement) in South Africa and worked there for six years until I moved up to an HR manager level.
Moving to New Zealand, I was an HR consultant for one-and-a-half years before joining Leighton Contractors (mining) in New Zealand, and later Australia, where I held various managerial positions.
I joined Peabody in 2008 as the HR manager for the Australian operations and progressed my career over 15 years to be in my current role.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
My guiding leadership principle is to treat people the way you want to be treated.
What is the greatest challenge your particular C-level role is facing today, and how are you addressing it?
The immediate and long-term attraction and retention of key skills required to enable the business to deliver its strategy and achieve its goals has been a challenge.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CHRO?
The key to success is to understand the business, gain a deep understanding of the company's business goals, strategies and culture. This will help you align HR strategies and initiatives with the overall business objectives.
Developing strong relationships with key stakeholders, including the CEO, senior leadership team, and other department heads, are keys to success. Collaboration and communication are crucial for success in this role. Lastly, think strategically and proactively about HR initiatives, anticipate future trends and challenges and develop plans to address them.
How do you measure success as a leader?
The value you add to the business, delivery on what was committed, being respected for who you are and how you conduct yourself, rather than your position, is how I measure success as a leader.
What is the value of being a member of the Evanta community?
Being part of the Evanta community provides access to a community of professionals in the HR field and access to resources. It provides a platform to stay informed about industry news, trends and challenges, which helps me to make informed decisions.
Being part of a network allows me to connect with peers facing similar challenges, providing a support system and opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.
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