Olivia Dunham
Head of global payroll and employment tax at Cambridge University Press
Why did you become a member of the CIPP?
What attracted me to become a member was all the support that the CIPP give their members, and they are the voice of the members to the government and to HMRC, and they have raised the profile of the profession and given us the respect that we deserve.
How has CIPP membership helped you in your career?
It has helped by giving me the confidence to progress and do the job that I do the best that I can from both a payroll administrator to a payroll manager.
Tell us a time when you felt CIPP membership has helped your organisation
That would be every time we contact the CIPP, especially the advisory service. We know that the information we are getting is going to be best practice and compliant so it helps the organisation know that what we are doing is correct. It also gives support to the team knowing they have got the CIPP behind them.
Tell us about the day you realised CIPP membership was a real value to you
So what would be when I first found the CIPP existed, to be honest. I was looking for jobs and all the vacancies were requiring a CIPP qualification so I went on to the website and had a look and found out all about it and knew at that point that it was something I needed for my career.
For someone who is thinking about joining as a member, what would your advice be to them about what they can gain from joining?
Membership of the CIPP gives you opportunities to network with likeminded professional where you can talk about various issues you might be having and support each other – not just in the UK but globally as well.
How did you feel when you got your Chartered membership?
I was so proud when I got my chartered membership. I have worked so hard and this is justifying all the hard work that I have done. My family are also really proud and they have heard about chartered accountants and Chartered HR professionals and now they see me at the same level as them – and that’s great.
Why was it important to you to become a Chartered member of the CIPP?
It’s important to me because of all of the hard work that I had put in but also it's about raising the professional of the profession in the small little world that I live in and its also helping me to fain respect from my employer.
