SBM Industry Spotlight Series: Careers in HR and People Strategy

When: Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Where: Online

Curious about where a career in Human Resources can take you? Join us for the next SBM Industry Spotlight event to hear from professionals working in HR, talent management, and people strategy across industries, including health, higher education and more. 

For the School of Business and Management Students only

Our panellists will share their career journeys, insights into the evolving world of HR, and practical advice on the skills, mindsets, and experiences that helped them succeed. Whether you’re interested in talent development, organisational design, employee engagement, or strategic HR leadership, this session will offer a real-world look at how to build a meaningful career shaping people and culture.

 

Hosted by

Georgy Petrov – Reader in Management Education and Practice and Director of Skills and Employability (Queen Mary University of London - School of Business and Management)

Dr Georgy Petrov is Reader in Management Education and Practice and Director of Skills and Employability. His work focuses on embedding employability, experiential learning, and authentic assessment across business and management education. Georgy has led major curriculum innovations, including the introduction of compulsory Professional Development modules, Year in Industry programmes, and the award-winning Step Ahead Plus university transition scheme. In 2024–25, he was a Queen Mary Academy Fellow, focusing on advancing employability integration in the curriculum.
Prior to joining Queen Mary Georgy held academic positions at a number of universities, including: the Coventry University London campus, where he acted as Associate Head for Student Experience and Quality; the Kingston University Business School, where he co-founded and led a successful post-experience Kingston MSc in International HRM programme; and the University of Exeter Centre for Leadership Studies.
Georgy is a Senior Fellow of HEA and holds a PhD in Higher Education and Organisation Studies from the UCL Institute of Education, University of London.

 

Speakers:

Katherine Tinoco - Head of HR, International - Lyra Health 

I am a Queen Mary University of London alumna and senior HR professional with over 17 years of experience across defense, non-profit, hydrocarbon, construction, finance, and banking sectors. Currently serving as Head of HR across 19 countries, I specialize in building effective teams, driving operational efficiency, and shaping people strategies on an international scale.
Holding two master’s degrees with distinction and an MSc in International Human Resources from Queen Mary, I bring strong expertise in recruitment, training, payroll optimization, policy development, and employee welfare. Throughout my career, I have led large teams, negotiated complex contracts, and implemented initiatives that improved productivity and reduced costs while enhancing organizational culture.
Passionate about continuous learning and professional growth, I have completed more than 50 courses and qualifications, equipping me with a broad and up-to-date HR toolkit to deliver impact at both strategic and operational levels.

 

Sheila Collins  - HR Strategic Transformation Partner - Queen Mary University of London

I have worked at Queen Mary for the past 6 years within the role of HR Strategic Transformation Partner leading and managing change projects across all areas of the university. These have involved leading large scale complex or cross university reorganisations, undertaking cultural change projects, being part of project groups to deliver process improvements and managing and delivering voluntary severance schemes. My client group vary according to the change project that I am undertaking and has involved working with leaders and managers across the university. A key element of my role is to respond swiftly to any university change requirements which have come about unexpectedly and as a result of either internal or external factors. A project that I had not foreseen was the setting up of Covid-19 Test Centres on each of the university’s campuses during the post pandemic period and hiring a workforce of staff and student to undertake the testing.
Prior roles have included working as an HR Strategic Partner, an Employee Relations Manager, an Employee Relations Consultant and an HR Generalist. My HR career has primarily been in the university sector. I spent 16 years working for King’s College London. I have also worked in the further education sector and local government. I am MCIPD qualified and one of the things I have enjoyed most about my career in HR is the diverse nature of the work that a career in HR can enable. There is never a dull moment! 

 

Peris Anastasiou - Senior HR Operations Specialist - Google

Peris Anastasiou is a Senior HR Operations Specialist at Google with over a decade of comprehensive experience in Human Resources. His expertise spans critical areas including HR Information System (HRIS) implementation, large-scale process optimization, and the successful launch of international benefits programs across multiple regions.
Peris is holding a Master’s degree in International Human Resource Management (IHRM) from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and is CIPD Chartered at Level 7.
He is currently transitioning into a Benefits Specialist role, where he will focus on in-depth exploration and strategic development of employee rewarding programs. Outside of his corporate career, Peris is a recognized News Sign Language Presenter on television and is also involved in music creation, where he composes songs.

 

Lee McNally - Head of HR Operations and Recruitment - Queen Mary University of London

Now in my 8th year at Queen Mary, I work with and support a fantastic team of circa 30 HR specialist delivering the recruitment and end-to-end employee lifecycle services. I am also the Authorising Officer for UK Visa Sponsorship (Skilled Worker/T5), responsible for managing and overseeing immigration compliance with Home Office duties. As an HR head of function, this busy and complex role, requiring active oversight on a range of HR related strategic, operational and compliance activities.
Prior roles include 10 years at King’s College London, managing centralised recruitment and operational services. 7 of those years were based in Denmark Hill, supporting the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences. I’ve also had the privilege, for a number of years, to work at The Wallace Collection, a national museum of fine and decorative arts, based in Manchester Square, London: an absolutely fabulous place.

 

Jackie Boateng - HR Systems and Transformation Lead - Amnesty International

Jackie Boateng previously completed an MSc in International Business and Politics at Queen Mary University. Since then, she has worked in Recruitment and Human Resources, gaining diverse experience across various organisations. She currently works at Amnesty International. When she initially commenced the role at the organisation, she worked as an HR Advisor. However, her most recent role in the last few years has been as an HR Systems and Transformation Lead, where she manages the advancement, maintenance, and enhancement of the organisation’s HR system to support both the operational and strategic objectives.