Meet our new Director of People
We’re thrilled to welcome Mary Comont to UCCF in the newly created post of Director of People. With an expertise in supporting people through change within the non-profit sector, Mary has worked for several key Christian charities, including Tearfund and BMS World Mission. Here she shares a few thoughts on joining the fellowship and why she’s passionate about the area of Human Resources.
Why are you excited to work with UCCF?
Like many students who spend a few short but significant years at university, my own experience at university profoundly formed and shaped my faith in Jesus Christ. UCCF has a unique opportunity to connect deeply with students during this phase of their lives and I’ve been so impressed at the ways in which students are equipped and resourced by UCCF to confidently share the good news of Jesus with their friends and peers.
While I haven't had much involvement with UCCF before now, I believe deeply in UCCFs mission and I’m looking forward to learning more about the broad and varied ministry work that UCCF is responsible for and to playing my part in this exciting and compelling vision to reach students across Great Britain with the gospel.
Alongside this, I’m really excited about this new role. It’s great to see a clear commitment to strong and healthy people practices from the board of trustees and the wider leadership. It's been encouraging to see a number of actions already taken to strengthen ways of working at UCCF and part of my role will be about embedding and developing this work further.
Tell us about your professional background
I started my career at Tearfund where I managed a variety of projects, large and small, aimed at engaging young people and then their UK Church audience. Most recently I’ve been at BMS World Mission and helped lead and support the organisation through a variety of changes: the development of a new strategy, changes in organisational structure and implementing more flexible and inclusive ways of working. It’s been great to strengthen people practices which resulted in a healthier, safer and more engaged organisational culture.
I absolutely love learning and in all the roles I’ve held across large, medium and small organisations, I have found continuous learning and reflective practice to be game changing in terms of my own professional development and the success of teams and work I’ve been involved in.
What interests you about Human Resources?
It’s a common starter question when we meet people isn’t it; ‘what do you do?’. When I answer this question with ‘I work in HR’ the response is sometimes apathy and sometimes an eye roll! But I love working in HR and enjoy convincing people of what an interesting, varied and fulfilling area of work it can be. For me, HR is about people, and people enabling organisations to fulfil their goals. Of course, we can’t do this unless organisations create environments and cultures where their people are thriving. I believe effective HR leadership enables a healthy and productive reciprocal relationship to exist between the individual and the organisation.
A former church leader of mine once taught a brilliant series on the concept that while work is cursed (because of the fall), it is not a curse (although I'm sure we've all woken up for work at least once questioning this!). Work can bring community, identity and meaning to our lives and as Christians we often talk about our vocations in terms of calling. God means for work to both bless us and to glorify Him. It’s important to me therefore that this reciprocal relationship between individuals and organisations is underpinned by honouring one another and honouring those we serve, and through this we honour God.
How can we pray?
- As I begin this role, please pray that I would listen carefully, attentively and prayerfully.
- Pray for our senior leadership team as we prepare to welcome a new CEO later this year.
- Give thanks that God promises to give us wisdom when we ask for it. Please pray that God would give me wisdom as I help to lead the organisation in this role.