Vilma Nikolaidou was appointed the BFI’s first Director of People and Culture in May 2023, joining from the University of the Arts London where she was Associate Director of People Strategy and Culture. As Director of People and Culture at the BFI, Vilma provides leadership across all areas of people strategy including talent, employee experience, capability, reward, performance, employee relations, culture and behaviours. Originally from Greece, Vilma studied psychology and graduated with a masters in Organisational Psychology from City University London. She is a Fellow of the CIPD and also holds a postgraduate diploma in coaching from the University of Sussex. Vilma started her career in Monsoon Accessorize, initially in retail sales and then in their HR division and from there held generalist and leadership roles at Tate Galleries, Arts Council England and London Borough of Lambeth. She was the organisational development lead of the new Tate Modern extension that opened in London’s Bankside in 2017. She co-founded Tate’s first LGBTQ+ staff network and has been a strong advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion all her life, with a passion for making the arts and creative industries more accessible to everyone.