From legal briefs to leadership briefs, Fiona McCoy, 41, has charted an unconventional path to the top of HR. Now chief people officer at Lowe Rental — a global provider of commercial refrigeration and catering equipment — she’s played a central role in the company’s expansion from 200 to over 500 employees, following a string of international acquisitions.
Based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Fiona is married with two children, Isobella (15) and James (10). She balances senior leadership with the realities of family life, an early start and a love of audiobooks.
In this edition of A Day in the Life of an HR Professional, Fiona reflects on the power of responsiveness, the value of creativity in HR and why supporting an ageing workforce is a challenge employers can’t afford to ignore.
My day kicks off around 6:30am, and like most parents, my first thoughts are about what the kids have on, whether it’s sports, clubs or something else they’ll need to be ready for. I get them organised, sort out their lunches and make sure our dog and cat are looked after. It’s definitely a busy start.
After that, I drive my daughter to the bus stop, drop my son at school and then head into the office. It’s probably a good thing I’m not much of a breakfast person; there’s rarely time for it in my mornings.
I do love my morning coffee, and it’s become a little ritual for me. On the way to drop my son at school, I pick up two coffees – one for me and one for my sister. We have a quick catch-up at the school gates before heading off to start our days. It’s a small moment, but it helps me ease into the day with a clear head and a positive start.
I drive to the office every day. I’ll often have work calls that I’ll need to take in the car, but when I don’t, I love to listen to an audiobook while I drive. I’m a big reader and this is the next best thing.
The mornings for me are all about planning. After I’ve responded to emails, I figure out what my priorities are for the day ahead and I write a to-do list and get prepared.
I work in an open-plan office alongside the rest of the HR team, so a good part of my morning is spent catching up with them, answering questions and making sure I’m connected to what’s going on. I try to avoid scheduling Zoom calls first thing, as I like to dive straight into my projects and make progress early in the day.
I feel fortunate to be part of an organisation that sees HR as a strategic priority, not just a support function. Being based at our company HQ means I have regular interaction with the C-suite, which keeps me closely involved in wider business discussions.
One of the big issues I think HR teams will need to help businesses tackle is the impact of an ageing workforce. People are living, and working, longer, and that brings both challenges and huge opportunities. More and more people want to continue working well beyond the traditional retirement age, and that’s a real gift if we’re ready to embrace it. There’s so much experience, wisdom and value they can bring, but we’ll need the right people strategies in place to make it work.
It could mean creating more meaningful roles for people at all stages of life, and being open to supporting career transitions, like moving from more physically demanding roles into desk-based jobs. I also think workplace wellbeing will play an even bigger part, making sure we’re supporting everyone to stay physically and mentally well, whatever stage they’re at in their career.
The first thing I always tell people when they join my team is to be responsive. It sounds simple, but in HR, if you don’t get back to people quickly, it can create unnecessary frustration and damage trust. Responsiveness is such an important part of building credibility.
Beyond that, I think great HR is all about good judgement. We’re here to find and keep great people and make sure we have the right governance in place, but that means we need to pause and think carefully about how we do things. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day busyness, but the real value comes when you create space to think, not just do.
HR is all about relationships. If you can’t build strong connections, within your own team and across the wider business, it’s almost impossible to deliver a service that feels meaningful and makes a difference.
I always take a lunch break. The company kitchen is fully stocked with fresh fruit and lots of different lunch options, which means I don’t need to give it too much thought until the moment I’m ready to eat. What I have depends entirely on how I’m feeling on the day. It could be an omelette or maybe a salad. There are days when all I really want is some toast — a firm favourite.
If my mornings are mainly about preparation, the afternoons are about meetings and projects. Recently I’ve been focusing on drawing out insights from employee feedback and seeing how we can use this to inform our future workforce initiatives. It’s this kind of project that I find particularly energising, as there’s so much to build on and a real scope to make more good things happen.
I really like spending time with my team, rather than in a private office or in a separate room. It helps me focus and keep a bit sharper as the day progresses. I also have regular one-to-one Teams calls with team members in the USA and Germany, which helps me to keep my energy levels up.
I do think there are still a lot of misconceptions about what HR actually does. It’s not just about the so-called “fluffy stuff”. When done well, HR plays a key role in helping business leaders drive real, meaningful progress.
It can be frustrating when people don’t see that, but I also think we in HR have to take some responsibility for changing the narrative. It’s on us to show the strategic value we bring to the table and to make sure our work connects directly to the business’s priorities.
People are often surprised that even at CPO level, I’m still very hands-on, especially when it comes to recruitment. I stay closely involved because I genuinely believe hiring the right people is one of the most important ways I can make a difference and help the business grow.
Another thing that might surprise people is how much creativity is involved in HR. It’s not always seen as a creative discipline, but I think creativity is right at the heart of what we do, whether it’s solving people challenges or shaping culture. I make a conscious effort to tap into that creative part of my brain every day.
I’d love to say I have an amazing end-of-day ritual, but honestly, I don’t. For me, it’s all about staying connected with my team. As the day winds down, I like to chat with them about their plans for the evening or the weekend. Whether it’s hearing about family, friends or someone’s latest sports training, those conversations are a great way to switch gears and step out of work mode. It’s a simple way to draw a line under the day and reset my headspace.
There are definitely times when I need to jump on a call or pick something up outside of regular hours, especially because I work in a global business where time zones come into play. But that’s the exception, not the rule. Overall, I’d say I have a really healthy work/life balance, particularly for someone at my level. I’m mindful of setting boundaries and making sure there’s time for life outside of work.
I get dinner ready and we eat together as a family in the evenings. I love that time spent together, although it can be quite short lived as the kids will usually have homework to do. I love the summer months and, if the weather is good, I like to get outside and enjoy it, even if it’s just for a short walk with the dog. I love to read and I have a book on the go.
I’m from a big family — I have five siblings — and am very family oriented. When I’m not at work I’ll often be found hanging out with my family. My husband and I love going out to eat — sometimes we even take the kids with us — and I love going to the theatre. I just saw Tina Turner, the musical, in Belfast which was terrific and a great way of getting out of work mode.
I head to bed around 10:30pm, and I make time to read before going to sleep; it helps me unwind and switch off. If something’s on my mind, I’ll often jot it down in my journal, especially if I’m replaying a situation or wondering if I could have done something better. Getting those thoughts out of my head and onto paper really helps me stop overthinking and get a better night’s sleep.
I have a habit of saying a prayer before going to sleep but I rarely finish it before I drift off. I know most parents would say this, but my last thoughts are about the kids and what’s going on in their lives.