Meet Our Members: Margaret Ayers

Meet Our Members: Margaret Ayers

Chief People Officer, University of the Arts London

“Don’t be afraid to go for new opportunities.”

Welcome to the first edition of Meet Our Members, our new monthly series celebrating the people, careers and experiences that make up the UHR community.

Each month, we’ll meet a UHR member to find out more about their career journey, what motivates them, the challenges and opportunities facing HR in higher education — and, most importantly, what being part of UHR means to them.

For our first feature, we meet Margaret Ayers, who has recently joined the University of the Arts London as Chief People Officer.

From retail and theatre to senior HR leadership, Margaret’s career has taken some unexpected turns. Along the way, she’s learned the value of taking opportunities, learning from others and never being afraid to try something new.

The career journey

Higher education wasn’t always part of the plan.

Margaret began her HR career with Sainsbury’s after completing its graduate management training scheme. She had already worked for the retailer as a student, including one of her favourite jobs: counting “mounds of cash” in the cash office, back when most people still paid in cash.

After ten years at Sainsbury’s, Margaret took a significant career step, leaving retail to set up an HR function from scratch in a very different type of organisation.

That experience proved to be an important turning point.

“It helped me realise that I could transfer my skills to a completely different environment – and survive!!”

Her second major turning point came when she secured her first HRD role - perhaps before thinking she was really ready for it. “I learnt on the job,” she says.

It’s a lesson that many of us learn throughout our career: sometimes the best way to develop is simply to take the opportunity and learn as you go.

Now, having recently started at University Arts London, Margaret is enjoying getting to know her lovely new colleagues, both in her team and the wider university across all our colleges and local and shared services.

The best bits about HR and HE

For Margaret, the answer is simple:

“It’s all about the people – including our students.”

Starting at a new institution has given her a fresh perspective on something that has always been important throughout her career: learning.

Getting to know a new organisation, understanding different perspectives and seeing how things are done differently has reminded Margaret of the “joys of change, new environments and different perspectives”.

It’s also reinforced something she has learned throughout her career: you don’t have to have all the answers yourself.

“You don’t need to do it all yourself and you don’t need to generate all the new ideas either – there is power in groups and teams.”

It goes without saying that we believe this to be an incredibly collaborative and supportive sector and Margaret seconds that continuing...

“You don’t know what insights and experiences people bring from other walks of life that you can draw from.”

This is so true and we see our members draw from each other every day through our discussion boards; learning from peers, sharing resources and gaining from the power that is community.

For Margaret, some of the most valuable insights can come from the different experiences people bring from other roles, organisations and walks of life.

The conversation

There’s no shortage of possibilities.

When asked to choose just one opportunity, Margaret immediately points to AI, transformation, rationalisation and financial challenges, before settling on staff morale and engagement.

“It’s been very tough for many in UK HE for several years and it doesn’t feel like it’s going to get any better very soon.”

For Margaret, improving morale means involving colleagues more effectively in the changes the sector needs to make.

“Unless we find a way to engage our colleagues better in how we all need to change, I can’t see that the morale or the industrial relations will improve.”

She also sees a connection with recruitment and retention. Creating an environment where people feel engaged and involved will be increasingly important if the sector is to attract skilled and capable people.

My UHR

Margaret has long valued UHR’s role in connecting people across the sector.

While she can’t remember exactly when she first discovered UHR, she knows what made her want to get involved: the opportunity to connect with colleagues, share ideas and celebrate the great work happening across higher education.

For Margaret, being part of the UHR community also means staying open to learning from others.

She particularly values opportunities such as the Trailblazers programme, where she gets to see the next generation of HR leaders coming through.

“It keeps me open to learning from others.”

The UHR difference

One of Margaret’s most memorable UHR experiences has taken her across the Atlantic.

She has been fortunate to represent UHR at two conferences in the US with our counterparts at CUPA-HR.

The experience provided an opportunity to learn from what HR professionals are doing in the US, but also to recognise the challenges that are shared across globally.

It’s an experience Margaret says she might not otherwise have had.

Her involvement with the UHR Executive has also provided valuable opportunities to connect directly with other sector leaders and colleagues.

Asked about the most valuable connection she has made through UHR, Margaret finds it difficult to choose just one.

“There have been so many…”

And perhaps that’s the point. For Margaret, the value of UHR lies not in one individual connection or one particular event, but in being part of a wider professional community.

Margaret’s advice to members

Margaret’s advice is short and simple:

“Join in – reach out to others.”

She also encourages members to get involved in the UHR Awards. For Margaret, the awards are a great opportunity to celebrate with your teams and recognise the work you have done together.

Her message is ultimately about making the most of the opportunities available through the community - whether that’s attending an event, connecting with another member, sharing an idea or celebrating a colleague’s achievements.

One final thought

Margaret’s career is a reminder that career journeys rarely follow a straight line.

From retail to theatre, from building an HR function from scratch to becoming a Chief People Officer, she has embraced new environments, learned from others and taken opportunities even when she didn’t feel completely ready.

And that philosophy continues to shape how she approaches her career and her involvement with UHR.

“Don’t be afraid to go for new opportunities.”