In this interview, Neuron’s Global Director of People James Boden discusses his career path, from the Army to HR, how he thinks about company culture, and what makes him excited about the growth and opportunities at Neuron.
You’ve got a really interesting background, from serving as a Lance Corporal in the British Army to becoming an HR executive. Tell us a little bit about your path and how your experience in the Army led you to where you are today.
James Boden: I joined the Army for a few reasons, the main one being that I wanted to serve my country. The Army was also a great starting point in my career. It gave me many transferable skills, which I use today. That includes leadership, but it also taught me how to be resilient, which I feel is an important leadership quality.
When I left the Army, I pursued a Business degree with The Open University, which is a global organization based out of the UK. As part of that program, I began studying HR. I initially became interested in the field because my Dad was an HR Director, and as I dug into it a bit more at University, I knew it was a path that I wanted to explore longer term. I ended up landing an entry-level role as an HR Administrator for Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). It was there that I realised I had a passion for working in the people profession.
At that point, I decided to pursue a CIPD qualification, which is focused on HR, people management, and learning and development. I then went on to complete my Master’s Degree in HR management.
What motivates and inspires you on a personal level to lead in your role?
JB: I want Neuron to be recognised as a great place to work. Putting the right foundation in place to ensure we are an organization where people feel like they are valued and doing exciting work is highly motivating to me.
What inspires me are business leaders who have set great cultures, such as Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy. He adopted the mantra of people, then business, then finance. Hubert’s emphasis on getting the culture right and the rest will follow is fantastic, and one I advocate. It shows that, as the old adage goes, culture really does eat strategy for breakfast.
I am really passionate about this concept. It’s one of the reasons I joined the people profession – I want to help make a difference in people's working lives. The leadership team at Neuron is dedicated to creating a culture where people can be authentic, have the space to thrive, and receive continuous feedback. This will help them become the best person they can be, which I believe is the backbone in creating a high performing organization.
One example of how we create this in our culture is through encouraging continuous feedback. We coach individuals to see feedback as a gift, and it shows that the individual cares about them, otherwise they could let them carry on in their ways!
Tell us a little bit more about what makes Neuron a great place to work?
JB: Neuron is a hyper-growth startup, and our founder and CEO Benny Retnamony’s vision for the future is really exciting. Neuron is taking a unique approach to tackling connectivity challenges that industries like cruise, shipping and aviation have grappled with for many years. Benny has assembled a talented group of engineers, with experience in satellite communications, data and AI, who are building the platform and solutions driving real value for our customers. We also have a broader team of tech, telecom and industry-specific experts across the company whose diverse perspectives enable really interesting collaboration and opportunities to learn.
Ultimately, the work we do at Neuron will help hundreds of millions of people have better digital experiences, whether they’re in the air or at sea.
You said that you’re passionate about the adage, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Fostering a positive company culture is so important, especially for a fast-growing startup with a highly distributed workforce. At a global company like Neuron, how do you approach company culture and make sure everyone’s moving in the same direction?
JB: There is not one thing that makes a positive culture. I look at it holistically, from a systems point of view, and ensure culture is embedded in all of our systems, which include performance, learning and development, reward and recruitment.
The following points are how we approach managing a distributed workforce:
- Encourage frequent and open communication. An example is we have regular All-Hands meetings where our leadership team and employees across the company give company updates and people have the opportunity to ask questions.
- Create opportunities for engagement and feedback. It’s really important to use employee surveys to get feedback directly from employees on what is working well and what needs improvement.
- Set clear goals. Objectives and key results (OKRs) are the backbone of our performance management system. It’s really important to create clear company goals that individual and team goals align to. This helps keep everyone on track.
In terms of ensuring we move in the same direction, leadership is key. We recently spent time as a leadership team to discuss culture and what we want our culture to look like. It’s now on us to implement.
How do you maintain a work-life balance given the demands of your position?
JB: We’re a global company in different time zones, and we’re growing really quickly, so this can be a challenge. It’s certainly an area that I need to improve on. However, Neuron is flexible. For instance, I am able to drop my son off at school three days a week and do CrossFit.
Having flexibility in the workplace is highly regarded by the workforce. This is something we are striving for at Neuron. Additionally, flexibility fosters autonomy and trust. This encourages people to take ownership, which is something that we encourage all of our people to do.
What has been the most valuable lesson you've learned in your career?
JB: Relationships are key to long-term professional success. Having a strong network of colleagues and mentors leads to more opportunities for collaboration, mentorship and personal growth. They can provide support during challenging times, help you brainstorm new ideas, offer diverse perspectives, and open doors for new career and advancement opportunities. Therefore, it’s really important to build your network and keep in touch with them. I can recall multiple times in my career when the relationships I built with senior stakeholders helped me land a new role.
I’ve also worked with a great organization called Redeployable, which is a network that connects veterans in the UK to top employers. That network led me to Neuron, where I get to work with other veterans as well. Continuing to build and foster my relationships within the military community is really important to me.
Neuron is hiring! What are the key areas you’re looking to hire for over the coming year?
JB: It’s truly an exciting time to be at Neuron as we’re growing rapidly. Currently, we’re hiring for several Engineering and Sales roles. If you are interested in joining us please click on the link below to see the latest opportunities: https://neuron.bamboohr.com/careers.
If you don’t see an open position that fits, and want us to contact you if a relevant role comes up in future, please email us at careers@getneuron.com.
To learn more about James’ military background and how it gave him a competitive advantage, check out this article with Redeployable, and in this article, Neuron shares insight on why companies should consider hiring veterans.
