Category: Professional Staff

Dr Sally Makady, Industry Partnership Executive (Digital Transformation), Enterprise

“In my role as Programme Manager, I explore engagement with multiple governments in Asia and the Middle East whose populations are worst-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

I’m a Life Sciences industry generalist with experience in creating new partnerships across industry as well as with emerging fields in technology and healthcare, such as digital health. I studied pharmacy as an undergraduate and neuroscience as a postgraduate student. 

I joined Imperial last January as an Industry Partnerships Executive in the Enterprise division, focusing on digital transformation. Shortly after, we headed into lockdown and Imperial, together with Professor Robin Shattock, co-founded the social enterprise VacEquity Global Health Ltd. to globally deliver the COVID-19 vaccine developed in his lab. My line managers kindly accepted my request to support VacEquity Global Health Ltd. in achieving its mission and as a result, I was seconded to Enterprise.  (more…)

Lacky Ahmed, Executive Assistant (Principal Gifts), Advancement

“The entire Advancement Division have all worked incredibly hard despite all the hurdles during COVID-19. I am very proud to work for Imperial, a university at the forefront of research and developing the COVID-19 vaccine.” 

Before joining Imperial, I worked as a Legal Assistant for five years at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a US law firm based in the City of London, where I assisted lawyers with advising US and international insurers on a range of insurance and regulatory and corporate matters.   (more…)

Joanna Plested, Administration Officer, Security Services 

“Balancing the apprenticeship with my day job wasn’t too challenging in the end. My manager was very supportive and helped me to find time to work on it when I needed.” 

My current role involves overseeing the administrative side of the Security team’s office. This involves booking annual leave, registering sickness, plus ordering and invoicing. More recently, I have also become a ‘training champion’ which involves helping other members of the team with any training needs.  (more…)

Wunmi Agunbiade, Finance Manager, Library Services 

“Since the start of lockdown there have been over 160 items ordered and distributed to our colleagues’ homes, as well as plentiful supplies of PPE ordered in preparation of the Library’s reopening.” 

I was a Fees Supervisor at Scope for three and a half years where my section was responsible for bringing in 45 per cent of Scope’s £100 million annual income. I then moved to UCL Union where I was the Deputy Finance Manager for 7 and a half years before moving to Imperial in March 2009 as the first Finance manager for Library Services. I was in this post until 2014 when I was also made the Finance & Facilities Manager – now covering finance, facilities and being the departmental safety person.  (more…)

Stephanie Ludwig, Learning and Development Administrator, Human Resources

“We have just launched our new LDC course programme for 2020-21 and our workload has really picked up as we’ve been planning and organising the teaching.” 

In January I started as an Administrator in the Learning and Development Centre (LDC) where I support the admin and organisation of the programmes run by the centre. This is mostly processing bookings for courses, answering enquiries and liaising with internal and external course tutors. 

After I left school, rather than going to university I decided to start working. While studying for my A-levels I found there wasn’t a subject I wanted to study at university, and I knew I definitely didn’t want to go to university just for the sake of it. Initially I didn’t even think about an apprenticeship and just wanted to get a job, but without experience finding one was very difficult. Eventually, I looked into apprenticeships and found that I could study for a Level 3 qualification in Business Administration while working at Imperial’s Graduate School. I started the apprenticeship in September 2018 and after receiving a distinction, I started my new role in the LDC in January this year.   (more…)

Naveeta Bhatia, Social Media and Campaigns Officer, Student Recruitment and Outreach

“Amplifying student voices, particularly those of our EU and International students, is a key part of my work and I didn’t want this to stop because of the pandemic, so I’ve had to find different ways of finding and talking to students.” 

I always wanted to work in marketing or communications, so when I finished university I started working as a copywriter. I had a couple of different jobs in marketing and communications over the next few years. I worked for the British Transport Police as their Social Media and Campaigns Officer for a while – that was a great job! After I changed roles, I found I missed social media and content creation. That’s when I applied for my current position as Social Media and Campaigns Officer in Imperial’s Student Recruitment and Outreach team.   (more…)

Camille Foncel, Student Hub Advisor, Campus Services

“The whole team has worked hard on ways to make ourselves available so students can come to us with questions and concerns.” 

I joined Imperial in May 2017 and work as a Student Hub Advisor. I enjoy the variety in my work and talking to people from many diverse backgrounds. A snapshot of my day can include supporting a student whose landlord is threatening to evict them, creating a webpage in HTML or holding a presentation for prospective students.  (more…)

Thomas Wales, Acquisitions Services Coordinator, Library Services

“I have been involved in identifying and enabling access to key e-textbooks to support teaching and learning among the College community where previously we relied upon print only.” 

I started at Imperial in October 2005  working in the Library Acquisitions Team and the Mathematics Departmental Library. A few years later I switched to a full-time role in Acquisitions, based at the Central Library. 

My team identify, procure and facilitate access to a broad range of books, eBooks and case studies to support the Imperial community in their research, teaching and learning. Acquisitions come via direct suggestions from Library users, through our Liaison Librarians, and academics submitting reading lists for courses.  (more…)

Dr Sarah Grant, Associate Director and Head of Operations, Imperial College Business School

“Altogether, my team has successfully blended over 100 classes this summer, and I’m proud and humbled to have led an initiative like no other.” 

I am the Associate Director and Head of Operations for Imperial College Business School’s Edtech Lab. I am responsible for overseeing and managing the smooth running of the entire portfolio of online programmes for the School, and for building expertise to ensure the School is at the forefront of innovation in technology-enhanced education. I lead a dedicated team to deliver approximately 180 online modules every year, including modules for our award-winning online Global MBA programme and our MSc in Business Analytics.   (more…)

Neil Taylor, Teacher of English, Centre for Academic English

“We needed our online classes to allow us to help academically but also to be a supportive, social space.”

I work part-time at Imperial as an Academic English Teacher in the Centre for Academic English where I support students and staff with the written and spoken communication of their research. Alongside this I teach part-time for the Victoria and Albert Museum. On July 14 I published my first novel The Miseducation of Evie Epworth, fulfilling my long-standing goal of publishing a book. (more…)