Chris Thomas
About Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas serves as the Vice President of People at Exscientia, where he has worked since 2021. He has extensive experience in human resources, having held various roles in organizations such as the University of Oxford and Nielsen.
Work at Exscientia
Chris Thomas has served as Vice President, People at Exscientia since 2021. In this role, he focuses on human resources strategies and organizational development within the company. Prior to this position, he was the Head of HR at Exscientia from 2019 to 2021, where he contributed to various HR initiatives. His tenure at Exscientia is marked by a commitment to enhancing employee engagement and organizational culture.
Current Roles and Advisory Positions
In addition to his role at Exscientia, Chris Thomas is currently a Business Advisor at Record Games Ltd, a position he has held since 2024. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member at Singular: Building Brilliant Biotechs, starting in 2023. These roles reflect his ongoing engagement in the business and technology sectors, leveraging his expertise in human resources and organizational development.
Education and Expertise
Chris Thomas holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Human Resource Management from Oxford Brookes University, which he completed from 2011 to 2016. He also earned a BA in Business and Finance for Managers from the same institution from 2003 to 2007. Additionally, he achieved a CELTA - Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults in 2008. His educational background supports his extensive experience in human resources, particularly in HRIS design and deployment, people analytics, and managing complex organizational processes.
Professional Background
Chris Thomas has a diverse professional background in human resources. He has worked at the University of Oxford in various capacities, including Professional Development (L&D Business Partner) and Head of HR operations and wellbeing at the Saïd Business School. His previous experience also includes roles at Nielsen as a Human Resources Business Partner and at Cosine as a People Advisor. His career spans over a decade, with significant contributions to HR practices across multiple organizations.
Achievements in Human Resources
Throughout his career, Chris Thomas has played a key role in the development and design of Long-Term Incentive (LTI) schemes and has led cultural change projects aimed at improving organizational culture. He possesses extensive experience in managing Series C, D, and IPO processes from a people perspective, demonstrating his capability in aligning HR strategies with business objectives. His expertise in people analytics further enhances his ability to drive effective HR strategies.