London, England, United Kingdom, June 2025 – Karen Gooday has been named Interim Chief People Officer at University of the Arts London (UAL), stepping into a pivotal leadership role to oversee the people and culture agenda for one of Europe’s most prominent creative universities. With a distinguished HR career spanning the higher education, public, and housing sectors, Karen brings a wealth of experience in HR strategy, organizational change, and people transformation.
Karen’s journey at UAL began as Director of People and Culture and later as Human Resources Director, where she led talent management, reward, and HR service delivery, playing an integral part in shaping the university’s culture and employee experience. Her work has focused on strategic transformation, developing people policies, and supporting staff engagement across the institution.
Before joining UAL, Karen held the position of Head of Employment, Reward and Transformation at Haringey Council, where she was responsible for employment strategy, reward frameworks, and transformation initiatives, leading a period of significant organizational evolution. She also served as Interim Head of People Operations at Optivo, further expanding her expertise in HR operations and people leadership.
Earlier in her career, Karen dedicated over 15 years to the University of Surrey, holding various senior HR roles, including Director of HR (Services). Her work spanned faculty and central services HR leadership, reward management, HR improvement programs, and strategic projects impacting organizational design, talent, and compliance. Karen also contributed to Notting Hill Housing Group, building her foundation in HR service delivery and operations.
About University of the Arts London:
University of the Arts London (UAL) is Europe’s largest specialist art and design university, consisting of six renowned Colleges: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion, and Wimbledon College of Arts. UAL is ranked number 2 in the world for Art and Design (QS World University Rankings® 2022) and is home to over 21,000 students from 129 countries. UAL’s unique creative community and alumni are found across the global creative sector, from business leaders to award-winning practitioners.
UAL is known for championing creativity, diversity, and innovation. The university offers a close-knit College structure and a global reputation for learning, practice, and nurturing talent in art, design, fashion, and communication. UAL continues to build its identity as a talent pipeline for the UK’s creative industries and beyond.
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