Region 03: Greater London
Shobi has a long career in the education sector – from secondary school teacher for History and English, FE lecturer and programme manager for initial teacher training, business and management development and now, since 2004, Learning and Development Manager at University of East London (UEL). Here, she has a pivotal senior management role with HR Services that supports UEL strategic intention to inform the HR strategy which includes objectives for organisational learning and development.
Responsible for a generous budget and support staff in the learning and development unit, she has extensive and well developed business partner relationships with the University Senior Management team including the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellors and all Deans of Academic Schools and Directors of Support Services. This enables her to respond to institutional priorities and needs through an annual, institutional wide learning and development programme as well as initiating OD interventions. One of her major achievements has been the use of Development Centres to develop the future leaders of UEL and the Development Centres have been given a resounding 'thumbs up' by academic and professional colleagues working in the support services - a comment from a Professor sums up the Development Centres as a '"high point' moment in my own occupational life in UEL and has had and will continue to have the effect of raising the occupational, social, intellectual & indeed thereby the overall fiscal capital of the University".
Currently, Shobi is working on a key OD project with the Chair of Governors, the interim Secretary and Registrar and an external consultant to review the effectiveness of the Governing Body and to implement a development programme to support the leadership role of the Governing Body.
Shobi is qualified as a teacher, has a Masters degree, is a Chartered member of the Chartered Institutes of Personnel and Development, Institute of Management, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has been jointly chairing the Staff Developers Network for the London region with Steve Rathborn of Imperial College for nearly two years. This year she is also doing an OD Practitioners programme at Roffey Park to enable her to understand and develop extensively OD tools and interventions.
Shobi hopes that her seconded role to the Leadership Foundation, as regional co-coordinator for London will not only benefit the universities that are represented in London but will also support her own continuing professional development.