The partnership between a chief executive officer (CEO) and a chief people officer (CPO) has never been more critical – or more complex. As the role of the CEO evolves, so too must their closest working relationships. Once seen as untouchable figureheads, today’s CEOs must be accessible, vocal on social and environmental issues, and deeply collaborative. They’re no longer simply business leaders. They’re societal ones.
According to research by consulting firm Korn Ferry, the CEOs of the future are “radically human,” see disruption as a trigger for reinvention, lead with purpose, and inspire a collective sense of energy. For that to work in practice, their relationship with the CPO must be rock solid. Here’s how.
Stop! Are you caught up? Before you read this blog post, we recommend you read the first two instalments in our mini-series on empowering HR professionals:
Mutual accountability: a two-way street
At the heart of a strong CEO–CPO partnership is mutual trust and accountability. Both leaders must be willing to challenge – and support – each other without ego.
“We make a conscious effort to work in lockstep with one another. We’re in constant communication, act as each other’s sounding board and keep each other informed so we can respond,” says our chief people and operating officer Claire Williams of her relationship with CEO Sion Lewis. For Williams, being a CPO means being “brave and courageous.” It means being the voice that asks, “Have you considered this side of this decision?”
Helen Armstrong, CEO of HR and payroll implementation consultancy Silver Cloud, emphasises just how essential that relationship is. “As a CEO you’re on your own and you’re expected to be ‘always on’. You can be dealing with something horrible, and [yet] you feel safe with them.” She adds, “[My CPO] is not afraid to say: ‘we could have done this differently’ or ‘we could have communicated this better’.”
But speaking up isn’t always easy. Executive headhunter Lisa Wormald points out that a confident CPO must be willing to challenge leaders when values or ethics are at stake. “CEOs and CPOs might butt heads over questions of morals or values. But it’s the CPO’s job to call things out, to have the strength of character to take [the CEO] aside.”
That dynamic works both ways. Lewis describes himself as a “hard taskmaster” with high expectations of Williams. “I’m an enabler – I give her the authority and confidence to drive the business, but hold her accountable for her projects, just like anybody else. My job is to make sure HR is in the boardroom and to give her the ammunition to challenge and support her peers there.”
Bringing a people-centric culture to life
If today’s CEO is expected to drive purpose, the CPO is the one who turns that purpose into practice. This includes designing systems and structures that help people succeed – whether that’s flexible working, reward structures or performance frameworks.
David Liddle, founder and CEO of The TCM Group, sees this moment as a turning point. “Together with the workforce, the CPO and CEO can take a deliberate and intentional role in shaping a people-centric culture. They can be a powerful driver for change,” he says.
He believes HR has shifted from a compliance function to a change enabler. “CPOs can support leaders to embrace the transformation from autocracy to visionary, people-first leadership where [CEOs] listen, engage and understand.”
That transformation is evident at Cirencester Friendly, where CEO Andy Morris has rejected a return-to-office mandate in favour of flexibility. “We’re always competing with blue-chip companies [for talent], so our people agenda needs to make us attractive,” he says. “This is all about trust... This [approach] has helped to differentiate us as an employer and bring people in.”
Using data to inform the employee experience
CPOs today have access to an unprecedented amount of workforce data – and they can use it to provide CEOs with a clear picture of how employees are experiencing the organisation.
“A strong partnership can make an unpopular decision workable, whereas a weak one might not,” says Rupert Brown, a former CPO and author of Mind the Gap.
With data from HR systems, engagement surveys and DEI initiatives, people leaders can reflect how culture is actually experienced across different employee groups. “Ultimately, performance is driven mostly by people,” says organisational change consultant Mark Withers. “HR has to show how the work that’s being done to create that employee experience and investing in the people is enabling the organisation to achieve better outcomes.”
CPO Greg McCaw – who has worked in DEI and culture – agrees: “This job is about ensuring fairness and equity, measuring the impact of things and closing the experience gaps for different groups.”
That lens will become even more critical as organisations integrate AI. Interim HR director and change specialist Melanie Steel notes that “CPOs will need to work with CEOs and chief information officers to understand their roadmap and to help them see where people fit in.”
Aligning to business goals
Ultimately, the goal of the CEO-CPO partnership is to drive the business forward – together. But it takes more than effort. It takes clarity of purpose.
Danny Harmer, CPO of Aviva, credits her strong partnership with CEO Dame Amanda Blanc as central to the company’s success.
“Sometimes, the function is guilty of simply doing ‘stuff’. When, instead, adding value to the business and being commercial actually requires you to do less,” she says. “The role of the CPO is to provide solutions to problems, rather than doing what you’re told. It’s about being expert enough about the people interventions you can make and the levers you can pull.”
Having worked in broader leadership roles, Harmer brings a commercial lens to HR. “If you have a hugely engaged workforce but shareholders are scratching their heads because goals are not being met, it doesn’t add up. As a strategic partner, my goal is for Aviva and [my CEO] to win.”
Cirencester Friendly: putting people front and centre
At Cirencester Friendly, the people agenda is baked into the DNA of the business. As a mutual business, the company is owned by its members – which includes employees. “Our mission is to put service at the heart of everything we do, and we can only do that through our people,” says Morris.
Even though Morris followed a traditional route to the CEO role, he’s ensured HR has a central seat at the table. And he’s clear on the dangers of a CEO-CPO disconnect: “A CEO that rides roughshod over feedback only works when the decisions are good. Because if [they’re] not, the whole house comes down.”
That close HR partnership is paying off. The company boasts high employee retention and continued growth, with many executives rising through the ranks internally. “We ask a lot of people and we’re going for growth, but our motivation and engagement scores continue to grow. That’s because we put people at the heart of our business.”
The rise of the servant leader
The shift from command-and-control to collaborative leadership has created fertile ground for more human-centred CEOs and CPOs. The concept of the ‘servant leader’ – popularised by Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last – has become more relevant than ever.
This leadership style prioritises ethics, transparency and community, with leaders who listen and empower their teams.
In this environment, the CEO-CPO partnership is foundational. Servant CEOs empower their people teams to build cultures of trust through inclusive policies and practices. In turn, HR leaders:
- Listen actively to understand employees’ perspectives
- Encourage autonomy and ownership
- Champion transparency and authenticity
- Create collaborative and inclusive environments
The end result? A thriving, resilient organisation where the people strategy is a powerful lever for growth.
Ready to lead with impact?
The modern CEO-CPO partnership isn’t just a ‘nice to have’. It’s a strategic imperative. When built on mutual accountability, data-informed decision making and a shared commitment to people and purpose, this partnership can powerfully shape the future of work.
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