The Bunny Ennis Fund is a special award created in memory of Bernard ‘Bunny’ Ennis, the late father of Ennis & Co Group’s Founder and CEO, Lynda Ennis, to support the training needs of an individual within the automotive industry.
Bunny Ennis worked in the automotive sector for his entire career alongside being a tireless campaigner and fund-raiser for fellow World War II veterans. Showing the generosity of spirit that underpinned his larger-than-life personality, he bequeathed a sum of money to help create opportunities in the industry he loved.
The newly established Bunny Ennis Fund will provide an annual training bursary for an individual already working in automotive or who hopes to join the industry.
Jordan Workman is a HR Business Partner at Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd, also the inaugural winner of the Bunny Ennis Fund.
As a HR Business Partner, Jordan specialises in talent development and employee engagement within the automotive industry. His career began with a degree in Business Management and HR, leading to roles at Volvo Group, Stellantis, and Aston Martin.
Currently pursuing a doctoral research degree on trust and performance in the sector, Jordan was the first-ever winner of the Bunny Ennis Fund, which he will use to support his research. With a passion for people and progress, he continues to drive positive change in the industry.
Tell us a little bit about your background and where you grew up?
I’ve spent my whole life so far in Worcestershire, within the West Midlands. My journey started with living in my grandmother’s spare bedroom, my parents were young and at the time didn’t have a lot of money, but eventually we moved into a council flat, and our chapter together grew from there. It was a humble start, but I had a happy childhood and never felt I missed out.
My family is quite interesting, one side is very animal-centric. My grandmother at one stage had 16 dogs, horses, goats, parrots and even a pig she trained to do dog agility – many of which were rescue/rehomed animals over the years! The other side of my family is very family orientated. Growing up, my mother was caring and light-hearted while my father was more career driven and a natural leader. My family and friends say I’m a real mix of both, which I feel has been a strength throughout my career.
Whilst I am based in the West Midlands, in recent years I have been lucky enough to travel across the world including touring around Asia. I am a massive tennis fan, and have been fortunate enough to go to Wimbledon, Roland Garros & the US Open so far – a highlight was making it onto Netflix’s ‘Break Point’ series as well as the Disney+ series ‘In the Arena: Serena Williams’ in some great crowd shots!
Describe your career journey so far in the automotive sector. Why did you choose HR?
Growing up, I was the go-to person for advice, even within my family. I’m an only child, so I had to grow up quickly. One day, I was talking to my cousin about my career and they suggested HR. At the time, I didn’t really understand what HR was but nonetheless I decided to incorporate it into my studies.
My first degree was in Business Management and HR Management. During my placement year, I had my first full-time HR job at Volvo Group, though not the cars, but the trucks and buses. It was only then, when I was able to gain some hands-on experience, that my passion for HR really took off.
I think sometimes HR can be a challenging place to work but at Volvo Group I had a great support network very early on with the HR Business Partners there – Clare Sandford, Mandy Phillips, and Lisa James. They gave me the autonomy and training I needed and I felt part of the team regardless of the fact it was a temporary position. That support network made a huge difference to my career trajectory.
It was also during my placement year at Volvo Group where I started taking on additional studying. I noticed a colleague studying for a CIPP qualification which inspired me to enrol in a Level 3 Payroll Technician Certificate alongside my placement. At the time I didn’t realise how valuable it would be, but later in my career it helped me secure a redeployment opportunity and kept me employed during COVID.
During my placement year I was essentially responsible for the early careers programmes and was actually nominated for a CIPD award at the People Management Awards for my work on the early career opportunities. I didn’t win, but it was an honour to be a finalist. Volvo Group was also placed in the top 50 undergraduate employers for the first time due to the work I delivered.
After Volvo Group, I finished my degree and went on to land my graduate job at Stellantis. I never had a rigid career plan, I didn’t think, “I must do a placement, I must do a graduate scheme.” It just worked out that way. I believe learning, whether through university, apprenticeships, or other routes is always valuable. There’s no ‘one right way’ to build a career.
Now you’re at Aston Martin as a HR Business Partner. How does that differ from a traditional HR Manager role and what unique challenges do you face in the manufacturing side of HR?
So I’m currently the HR Business Partner for manufacturing at our Gaydon and Wellesbourne facilities. I partner with stakeholders to equip them with what they need to achieve business goals. My work ranges from operational HR which includes supporting production managers with people matters such as employee relations cases and absence management, to strategic HR which can include headcount planning with Directors, and working with senior managers on talent mapping and succession planning.
HR Business Partners typically don’t manage HR service centres or teams like a traditional HR Manager. Instead, in larger organisations like Aston Martin, we often stand alone and are responsible for a particular area of the business. We work closely with senior leaders and become the ‘golden thread’ to align overall business strategy with local departmental needs.
Manufacturing presents different challenges than corporate HR. With automation and new technologies, we must ensure we don’t lose the human touch. Being in a manufacturing setting, many of my stakeholders value personal interactions whether that’s checking in on employees or recognising hard work. Manufacturing employees often have incredible technical skills, but don’t always get the recognition they deserve. A big part of my role currently is advocating for my technicians and understanding how we can become a ‘Great Place to Work’. Within manufacturing, you are often up against stringent timings, shift work, higher staff turnover, as well as navigating trade unions and multiple contract types including agency workers. Therefore, as a HR Business Partner within manufacturing you need to be able to navigate uncertainty, listen to understand, and be adaptable to the ever-changing needs of the workforce.
You have completed a BA, and MSc and are now studying for a PhD. Why is educational attainment so important to you?
My grandfather had a very poor upbringing and spent the vast majority of his life not knowing how to read and write, he had limited job opportunities and didn’t learn those literacy skills until his 50’s alongside his grandkids. Unfortunately this situation isn’t unique to my grandfather but when seeing the impact that a lack of education has on someone close to you it really makes you value education. Professionally, I think education within the workplace helps command that legitimate perspective but it also helps broaden your outlook and understand different viewpoints. There’s also something to be said about the talent market becoming more competitive, I think education is a great way to stand out among other candidates.
But qualifications aren’t everything. Some of the best leaders don’t have degrees, they have experience, determination, and industry knowledge. It’s about finding the right path for you.
What was your reaction to winning the inaugural Bunny Ennis Fund award, and how will you spend the bursary?
Winning the award was an honour and I’m incredibly proud. It meant a lot to see how important this award was to Lynda and the team and I was genuinely shocked when I won as I knew how talented the other finalists were.
I will use the grant towards my research degree which is specific to automotive and explores how trust influences decision-making, workplace relationships, and employee performance. There isn’t much independent research in this area, so I hope to contribute something valuable.
The research is about understanding trust levels within the automotive industry, particularly the relationship between managers and employees. It also looks at how people rate their own performance, do those who feel they underperform have lower trust in their workplace? Do they have good relationships with their managers?
We all know that a good manager can be great for your career, while a bad one can make you want to leave. Exploring these dynamics on a global scale is something I felt was needed in the industry.
The funding from the award will go towards my tuition fees, but more importantly, it allows me to reinvest in more targeted research. The money I save on tuition can be used to expand my study, such as reaching underrepresented regions like parts of Asia through survey distribution platforms.
What are your hopes for the future, both in terms of your research doctorate and your career?
I’m already reaching out to industry support networks to share my research ideas. We recently had a presentation at Aston Martin from Deloitte about automotive industry trends which was really insightful. I plan to leverage findings of existing studies from large organisations to enrich my independently-led research.
Eventually, once my research is complete and published as an academic paper, I’d like to present it to different universities and employers. Long-term, I aim to become a recognised leader on all things trust and performance within the automotive sector.
In terms of my career, my ultimate ambition is to become a Chief People Officer or Global HR Director. In the meantime, I believe in earning your stripes first and exposing myself to new topics, roles, and stakeholders will benefit me when I reach that executive level.
I’m in no rush, but I have a clear goal and want to keep progressing while I can. My main priority is to ensure I add value in whatever role I am in and have a positive impact on the people I support.
