Jo Blunden

As the Chief Operating Officer, Jo is responsible for providing leadership to the University’s key professional service departments that underpin the effective and efficient operation of the University and ensures that these services meet the needs of the St Mary’s community.

Jo was educated at Trinity College Dublin and achieved a BA (Hons) in Business and Sociology. After University, Jo spent nearly two years living and working in Japan before moving to London and starting a career in Human Resources. She undertook various Human Resources roles in organization such as the BBC and British Telecom before moving into financial services. She has been awarded Fellowship to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is also Prince 2 accredited.

Jo joined St Mary’s University Twickenham in August 2013, initially as an interim HR Director, before taking on the role permanently the following year. In 2015 she was promoted to the role of Senior Director of People which spanned the support services to both Staff and Students. She took on her current role as Chief Operating Officer in June 2019.