Dear colleagues,
We are delighted to announce that Kathryn Al-Shemmeri will join Imperial as our new Chief People Officer on Monday 4 November.
Kathryn brings extensive experience from her role as Chief People Officer for the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street, along with several other key HR leadership positions within the Civil Service. She comes with a track record of designing and delivering improvement programmes that transform employees’ experiences; building and leading strong, people-centric HR teams; and being a visible and accountable face of HR for her organisation.
Reporting directly to the President, Kathryn will be a vital member of the University Management Board and its committees. She will oversee the Human Resources function and provide strategic leadership on all people-related matters.
As we prepare to welcome Kathryn, we want to express our sincere appreciation to Harbhajan Brar, who has decided to step down from his role as Director of Human Resources in November to begin partial retirement. We are pleased that Harbhajan will continue with Imperial on a part-time basis to support the implementation of the Great Service Programme and to ensure a smooth transition to Kathryn.
We would like to thank Harbhajan for his exceptional service to Imperial. His calm and measured leadership has helped guide our community through sometimes challenging circumstances. Under his guidance, Imperial’s culture has seen many positive changes, and we are particularly grateful for his proactive efforts in championing a more diverse and inclusive environment.
Our people will be key to our future success as a university, and to the success of our institutional strategy, Science for Humanity. Kathryn will play a crucial role in delivering our Enabling roadmap, ensuring our community remains a diverse, values-driven environment where people and ideas can thrive.
Best wishes,
Hugh and Ian
Professor Hugh Brady, President
Professor Ian Walmsley, Provost