Email: ruth.thompson@stmarys.ac.uk
Biography
Ruth Thompson is director of Human Resources, leading the HR Directorate as they support the achievement of the University's Vision 2030 through the provision of strategic and operational HR services and the continued development and implementation of the People Strategy.
Ruth joined St Mary's in January 2023. Before this, Ruth worked in various roles in the civil service, latterly as deputy HR director at the Cabinet Office; and as an HR deputy director in the Ministry of Defence, including as head of HR business partnering and organisational design and development and as head of Secretariat and Civilian Workforce for the Royal Air Force. Ruth is a fellow of CIPD.
Ruth originally qualified as a solicitor and worked in the private sector as a litigation lawyer before joining the Government Legal Service. She worked at Defra and the Ministry of Justice, leading various multi-disciplinary teams working on the negotiation, drafting, and implementation of EU and domestic legislation, then moved into policy roles with a greater emphasis on people change and transformation. Ruth spent some time at Cabinet Office working on propriety, ethics, and standards issues and returned to the Ministry of Justice to lead the team providing strategic policy and people advice to the senior judiciary on the £1bn courts and tribunal transformation programme.
When not at work, Ruth enjoys cycling and playing tennis with her husband and son, as well as enjoying live music and sport.