The Path To Chief People Officer
HR is no longer confined to the sidelines. Here's what it actually takes to reach Chief People Officer level, and why more People professionals are asking the same question about getting there.
The Shift to Chief People Office
HR was traditionally never part of the C-Suite, always outside the boardroom, we’ve seen this shift in recent years. We’re seeing more businesses hiring senior People professionals into their C-Suite – the Chief People Officer Title has gone from rarely seen to common quite quickly. This isn’t just a rebrand of the HR Director title; it’s a signal that People strategy is being treated as commercially vital, not just as an operational role anymore.
But we speak to candidates regularly who are frustrated they can’t get into the boardroom, feeling like the People function is overlooked and sometimes, not even taken seriously.
If you’ve got a Chief People Officer role in your sights, this will help you ensure you’re building the skills needed to succeed at board level as a People professional.
What Is a Chief People Officer?
The CPO title has spread from its origins in Silicon Valley technology companies into mainstream UK business faster than almost any other C-suite designation, and is shifting how boards think about People leadership. The role is explicitly more strategic and culturally oriented and is more directly tied to the CEO’s agenda than the HR Director role it frequently sits alongside or replaces. Boards that get the most from CPO appointments know what they want the role to deliver, and successful CPOs combine a well-oiled People function with commercial awareness, a transformative mindset and the ability to hold their own in the boardroom.
What Impact Is This Having?
Having a genuine seat at the top table changes what HR is capable of. A CPO isn't there to manage policy and process – they shape workforce strategy alongside the CEO and CFO, with real influence over decisions that used to happen without HR in the room at all. Having this HR presence at the top means senior leadership teams and boards are making reward and talent decisions with genuine people and HR insight in the room, not as an afterthought.
The Numbers Worth Knowing
The UK accounts for 11% of global CPO appointments, a disproportionately high share for the size of its economy, which Eton Bridge Partners attributes to the role being a well-established, strategic function in UK businesses.
Two-thirds of UK CPOs joined their company a year or less before stepping into the role, according to Heidrick & Struggles.
The average CPO salary in the UK sits somewhere around £150k to £160k.
Read together, these numbers tell a clear story: the role is becoming established, is well paid, increasingly open to outsiders and first-timers, but is still under-represented at board level relative to its actual importance.
Is The Role of CPO Overlooked?
Our HR consultants speak to multiple senior HR & People professionals every week, and there’s an underlying feeling of frustration from some people, that they’re unable to get into the boardroom.
These are experienced, talented people who’ve proven themselves over and over again, some of whom actually do sit on the boards of their organisations, yet are still denied the Director or C-Suite title, instead feeling ‘stuck’ at Head of level.
People functions in businesses regularly get overlooked and don’t get a seat at the table, even though they’re doing the work of someone at CPO level. If this is a scenario that feels familiar to you, and you’ve had conversations around moving up but are still denied, it may be time to rethink your approach; pitching yourself differently is something that could help, but you may need to come to terms with the fact that it might be time to move on.
Key Skills You Need As A Chief People Officer
Wider commercial understanding, not just HR expertise. If you’re not comfortable speaking about revenue, margins and the commercial risks of a workforce decision, you need to close that gap.
Being able to build trusted relationships, with the CEO in particular, but also with other board members, key stakeholders in and outside of the business, and department heads.
Change and transformation leadership is key: the specific capability to manage large-scale organisational change without causing backlash from anyone.
Technical and data literacy will serve any CPO well in today’s business landscape. Using workforce data to build a case for any investment you require across the People department, rather than going on gut feel, is a necessary skill.
Being able to hold your own in a room with other people used to doing it. A lot of businesses have never had an HR professional in the boardroom, and may not immediately see the value. You have to be able to demonstrate it.
Good judgement in messy situations is vital. This is more something that you build with experience, but being able to work out whether a problem is unique or systemic, and knowing how to handle culture blow-ups with tact will serve you well.
Thinking About Your Next Move?
Whether you're working towards a CPO role or thinking about creating one, we can help.
We speak to senior HR and People professionals across Yorkshire and North Derbyshire every week, and we know exactly what boards are looking for right now.
Get in touch with our team for an honest conversation, whether that's about your next career move or building out your leadership team.
Author Bio
Sue Wallis is Joint Managing Director of Sewell Wallis, overseeing the business alongside personally recruiting senior HR and executive professionals across the Yorkshire market. With a career in recruitment spanning more than 30 years, beginning in London and rooted in Yorkshire for decades since, she brings rare depth of experience to both the hires she makes and the business she leads. Known for her straightforward approach and the long-standing client relationships she has built over the years, Sue is a trusted advisor to businesses navigating senior and leadership appointments across the region.
