‘Academia was the start and the end’

Dr Markos Koumaditis has gone full circle since a beginning in academia. He has a PhD in Modern European History from King's College London and has studied in his native Greece. In his late 20s he was a lecturer and today he is the Director of Human Resources at the world’s number one university, Oxford.

Koumaditis is immediately gregarious, it’s clear that when he says he’s a ‘people person’ that he genuinely is – it’s not just that he is easy to talk to but also that there is a clear passion from him about helping others’ better themselves.

Life began in Athens; he was born into a working class family. Starting with humble beginnings, he gained confidence from a loving home and arrived in London at 22, determined to make the most of his new start. He was the first of his family to go to university in Greece in 1990, followed by a year abroad at the Catholic University of Milan; it was a realisation that not only could he achieve more but that also he enjoyed discovering new countries and living abroad. “I learned Italian easily,” he says.

Academia continued to appeal, and his PhD at King's College London was a natural path towards discovering ways to help people to perform optimally.

‘Working in HR was accidental’

The road to people management was not a straight one, though. “After lecturing, I went to work in government – doing a number of roles,” he says. There was a stint working for universities, this time not as a student but in operations, where he learned how academic institutions ran as a business.

Having lived in three different countries, a diversity of experience was always going to shape him as a professional, developing an understanding of how to get the most from people that has continued long into his career.

He says that while HR may not have been the plan, it has been the happy accident of his life. For a senior HR professional, he has not worked in the function for that long – he realises that he is a rarity. “I’ve only been in HR for ten years but worked hard to achieve relevant professional qualifications,” says Koumaditis.

That first foray into people management was spent advising on people practice and organisational development at London South Bank University, becoming its Group People Director.

A career highlight was found at his next stop, working at the House of Commons. “It’s not a job you turn down,” he laughs! It was 2019 and he was appointed as Human Resources Director, a time when the political landscape was changing rapidly. “Boris Johnson was elected as Prime Minister, we had a new Speaker and just when I thought that not much else could change, Covid happened!” he recalls.

He describes working in those hallowed halls of Parliament as ‘amazing.’ Koumaditis was working behind the scenes with the House services team.

Like many institutions, where a huge part of the pull of working there is an alignment with the cause and, the honour of it – the workforce doesn’t tend to be too transient. “People join the House of Commons in their 20s and often they don’t leave. There’s no money in the world that can buy that kind of loyalty,” he says.

It comes as no surprise either that Koumaditis alludes to everything not always being a bed of roses. “There is of course the ‘dark side’ of the House of Commons – the sexual harassment scandals, for example. Culture was my challenge,” he explains.

That transformation programme became Koumaditis’ legacy, particularly taking senior figures through relevant leadership programmes and a people strategy. With all eyes on the House of Commons, there was the constant pressure of the press too. What many don’t appreciate is that it’s a highly unionised environment which adds a further layer of complexity. Added to that is pay. “The House of Commons doesn’t offer the best salaries – many take the job because it’s a privilege and gives the wider context,” he jokes, when he adds that one rare perk was getting world class food at subsidised prices.

Rubbing shoulders with politicians was a further joy of the job. “Theresea May was wonderful and always chatted to us.”