Katharina (Kat) Butler Tjepkema
About Katharina (Kat) Butler Tjepkema
Katharina (Kat) Butler Tjepkema is a Senior People Partner (Associate) at Arup, with extensive experience in HR transformation and business readiness roles at John Lewis Partnership.
Title and Current Role
Katharina (Kat) Butler Tjepkema is currently serving as a Senior People Partner (Associate) at Arup. She has been in this role since 2021, working primarily from London and remotely. In her current position, she collaborates with Directors up to board level and the Senior Leadership teams across Consulting and the Digital Hub for the UKIMEA region, which includes around 2,000 members.
Previous Experience at John Lewis Partnership
Kat Butler Tjepkema has extensive experience at the John Lewis Partnership, where she held various roles over a span of seven years. She served as an HR Transformation Transition Lead in 2021 and a Business Readiness & Implementation Lead from 2019 to 2020. She was also Functional Lead, HRIT Cloud Transformation to Workday from 2018 to 2019, and Resourcing Accounts & Operations Manager from 2017 to 2018. Additionally, she held positions as an Account Manager for John Lewis & Waitrose Branches from 2016 to 2017 and Resourcing Manager from 2014 to 2016.
Education and Qualifications
Katharina has a strong educational background in strategic HR management and development. She holds a Master’s degree in Strategic HR Management & Development from Sheffield Hallam University, completed in 2016. She also has CIPD Level 7 qualifications in Advanced Employment Law and an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma. She studied Coaching at the John Lewis Partnership and obtained an Association for Coaching Accredited Diploma in Coach Training in 2019. Additionally, she achieved a Bachelor of Commerce in Management from the University of South Africa.
HR Business Partner Roles
Before her tenure at John Lewis Partnership, Kat worked as an HR Business Partner at Hannover Rück SE from 2010 to 2014. She also gained experience as a Recruiter in a temporary role at Foster MacCallum International Ltd in 2010. Her responsibilities included providing HR support and implementing effective HR strategies aligned with business goals.
Digital Transformation and Change Management
In her various roles, Kat has led significant digital transformation initiatives. At John Lewis Partnership, she led the business readiness team for the implementation of Workday and Salesforce, focusing on change management, communications, and training development for 80,000 partners. At Arup, she works closely with the Digital Steering group to advance the Digital Transformation Strategy into strategic objectives for People and Culture.