My name is Stephen Taylor. I am an Associate Professor of Human Resource Management at the University of Exeter in the UK. I also have a close association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) where I have served as a Chief Examiner and Chief Moderator for many years.

I have authored, co-authored or edited several books during my thirty year career as an academic working in three universities. Prior to this I worked as a practicing HR manager in the hotel industry and the National Health Service.

My main areas of expertise are in the fields of employment law, employee resourcing, the evolving context for people management and reward management. I have a particular interest in employee retention and employee benefits. My PhD was in a different area, being focused on the university experiences of the men and women who go on to become elite politicians.

Outside work, I am an inveterate bookworm. I own over ten thousand books, mainly biographies, works of history, and books about politics and current affairs. I also read a good deal of classic and contemporary literary fiction. My book and reading blog is called 'I am your actual bookworm'.

I volunteer with a talking newspaper in the area of South Devon where I live, helping to create and edit content for people with sight impairments. I am also active in the Teignmouth and Dawlish Area Literary and Cultural Society (TADALACS) and am a very keen and overly competitive pub quizzer.