People, Work and Employment Advisory Board
The People, Work and Employment Department Advisory Board (PWE DAB) consists of business leaders, senior executives and industry experts, along with departmental staff who hold leadership responsibilities in research and teaching. Our DAB members advise and inform on current practitioner issues in the areas of work, employment relations, human resources, management consulting and data analytics.
Our DAB is headed by Marianne Savory with guidance from the Head of the PWE Department, Professor Jennifer Tomlinson. Many of our board members are University of Leeds alumni and graduates from our programmes. We ask them for guidance and support on our taught programme portfolio, enabling us to teach the appropriate skills and remain industry releavant. We want to ensure that we are considering the impact on the future career pathways of our new graduates and delivering an exceptional impact on business and society globally through our leadership in research and teaching.
The below video will give you insight into what our DAB provides both staff and students.
Board members
Amber Kirby – Marketing Director at the Post Office
Amber has over 20 years of experience in the marketing sector, having worked with major companies such as Procter and Gamble, Boots, Virgin Holidays and Eurostar, before joining Channel 4 as Marketing Director and then the Post Office in 2026.
Her work in this sector means she is able to give the board vital advice on topics such as digital media, organisational culture, leadership development, student experience, and vital skills for new graduates in the world of work.
She has been a board member since 2023, and holds a BA in Economics from Leeds University Business School.
Catherine Coady – Senior Manager, HR Policy and Delivery at the Financial Conduct Authority
An experienced HR specialist and high-performing CIPD Chartered Fellow, Catherine has a range of experience which has been vital to our board.
Catherine’s work in the public and private sectors allowed her to work in areas such as workforce planning, senior stakeholder performance and talent, HR technology, crisis management and HR business partnering. Her knowledge enables her to advise on how we can ensure our students are workplace-ready when they graduate from Leeds University.
She has been on our board since 2023, and holds an MA in Human Resource Management from our department.
Lewis Hodges – Principal Consultant at AtkinsRealis (London)
Lewis graduated from our MSc Management Consulting programme in 2018 and quickly joined AtkinsRéalis on their graduate programme. Since then, he’s been promoted to Principal Consultant within their firm.
His experience working within a global company in areas such as AI policy making, data analytics, and with a wide client portfolio, he advises our board on the ever-changing world of consulting.
Lewis obtained a Level 7 Diploma in Professional from the Chartered Management Institute during his time studying with us and is now a Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC).
Liz Reynolds – HR Director at 26 & MMT
Liz has over 20 years’ experience in employment law, with 10 of those at Board level, and has a wealth of experience in many topics that we teach and research.
She is currently working as an HR Director and is also qualified to teach level 7 in HR Leadership, Employment Law and Executive Coaching. Her experience in team leadership, talent management, training and development means she offers us advice on a range of skills that our graduates need when they enter the world of work.
Liz also gives an annual Guest Lecture to our MA HRM and MSc Data Analytics & HRM students on the topic of “Handling difficult discussions”.
Thalia Vouvonikou – Head of HR for Greece and Cyprus at Henkel
With more than 20 years of experience building environments where people and talent thrive, innovation and objectives flourish, Thalia is an asset to our board.
Her experience with employee engagement, employee relations, and diversity and inclusion enables her to advise our board on contemporary HRM matters within our teaching.
Before joining Henkel, Thalia worked for Inform, First Data Corporation and then Hellas Online. She has been on our board since October 2025 and completed her MA in HRM with us in 2002.
Polly Bell – Consultant II at AtkinsRealis (London)
Polly is the youngest member of our board, having completed her Masters in Management Consulting in 2020. This allows her to provide valuable insights both as a recent graduate and to give a fresh view of life as a student within our department.
Her experience in events management, project management, stakeholder engagement and communication means she can also advise on the key skills graduates need when they step into the world of consulting.
She also started her career as a Graduate Management Consultant at AtkinsRéalis and has followed a career pathway, now working as a Consultant II.