Strategy

Inclusive Leaders: Fernanda Antonio, People & Culture Director, Caravan

17 Jul 2024

2 min read

Award winning restaurant group Caravan is going from strength to strength. As it opens the doors to its latest site in Covent Garden, we caught up with People & Culture Director Fernanda Antonio on Caravan's approach to wellbeing and how this has evolved to meet the challenges which come with expansion.

Could you tell us about your background? What was the journey to your current position?

I'm a high-energy People and Culture leader with over 15 years of experience in a people function and nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry. I moved from Brazil to the UK in 2004 to pursue a degree in Social Communications, which ignited my passion for People and HR. My areas of expertise include team engagement, recruitment, training/learning and talent development. Currently I hold the role of People and Culture Director at Caravan Restaurants and Coffee Roasters and prior to Caravan, I worked at Megan’s, Wahaca and Wagamama for several years. This shaped my 'People Magic' strategy through company expansion and team growth - driving culture and talent development and being instrumental for dozens of new site openings, focusing on culture and nurturing talent.

Tell us more about your role as People & Culture Director at Caravan. What projects are you currently working on? What are you most excited about?

In my current role at Caravan I implement the business's strategic vision, promoting an inclusive culture, and recruiting and developing top-quality, diverse talent. My people strategies, which I define as “People Magic”, are finely tuned to align with business goals, taking advantage of people analytics and a hands-on approach to ensure more adaptability and measured actions in the changing landscape of the hospitality industry and the world. Currently our 80:20 strategy is a core priority, where we aim to develop 80% or more of our internal teams into management roles, using our newly updated career pathways.

Fernanda is currently People & Culture Director at award-winning restaurant group Caravan.

She believes people analytics and a hands-on approach are key to adapting to the hospitality sector's ever-changing landscape.

You’ve worked in a number of HR leadership roles, in your experience, what makes for an excellent company culture?

In my experience, an excellent company culture is led from the front by inspirational founders and core leadership teams. I've been fortunate to work directly with such leaders who genuinely care about their teams and prioritise their happiness and fulfilment. As the People and Culture Director, my role, along with my team, I have the exciting job to actively promote and encourage continuous improvement and adaptation in our culture. We empower our teams to contribute their ideas and challenge the status quo, leading to a more dynamic and evolving culture.

What does employee wellbeing mean to you? How do you aim to achieve this at Caravan?

Employee wellbeing, to me means listening to what people need, want and care about, and providing individualised support from financial education to mental health awareness. At Caravan, we prioritise creating a supportive and inclusive environment where every team member feels valued, heard and empowered to thrive both professionally and personally.

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You’ve just opened a brand new site in Covent Garden - congratulations! Has your approach to employee wellbeing changed as the business has grown?

As Caravan has grown, our approach to employee wellbeing has evolved to address the unique challenges and opportunities that come with expansion. We have implemented new initiatives and programs tailored to the diverse needs of our growing team, while maintaining our commitment to listening, supporting, and prioritising the wellbeing of every employee.

What’s coming up next for you and your team?

We're really excited to be taking Caravan’s first out of London opening on the road to Manchester later this year, but more importantly, we're really looking forward to spending more time in this incredible city. This brings me great memories of when we opened our first out of London Wahaca in Cardiff years back. This will be a great opportunity to generate local jobs as well pointing our sunshine northwards, taking our Antipodean speciality coffee culture and a fresh take on all day dining established in London since 2009.

Strategy

Inclusive Leaders: Fernanda Antonio, People & Culture Director, Caravan

17 Jul 2024

2 min read

Key takeaways

73%

Financially-stressed workers are more likely to move to an employer who cares about their financial wellbeing

62%

Employers do not have a well-articulated financial wellbeing strategy

Adoption

of benefits is a useful measure for how staff are feeling and what they need most from their employer

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