New HR Director appointed

We are delighted to announce that we have appointed Lesley Sommerville, Global HR Director at Informa Plc, as our new Group HR Director. Lesley succeeds Paul Lomas, who left OUP earlier this year.

Lesley has held the top HR Director role in Trinity Mirror plc and Viapath LLP, and she has more than 20 years’ experience in senior HR management roles in leading companies across a range of industries, including Babcock International plc, Tesco plc, and Scottish Power plc. In her most recent role at Informa, she led the HR and change aspects of several transformational global acquisitions. 

Speaking about the appointment, Nigel Portwood, Chief Executive of OUP said: ‘Lesley brings a wealth of relevant experience to OUP. She has a deep knowledge of the business and organizational challenges facing international media companies, and has an excellent track record in developing an organization and in supporting company leaders to address the opportunities arising from a digital transformation.’

Speaking about her appointment, Lesley said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be joining OUP. With an incredibly strong track record in academic and educational publishing and a diverse global footprint, I know that OUP attracts and retains immensely talented, innovative, and committed people. I can’t wait to start working with the team to continue to develop the organization and the people agenda across the globe.’

Lesley will start her new role in September 2018.