Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, has been recognised as one of the UK’s most inspirational and impactful HR leaders.
She has been included in the inaugural CIPD HR30 list – a new annual award that celebrates the top 30 senior people professionals who have shown exceptional leadership and commitment to their organisations and the profession.
The 2025 CIPD HR30 was announced today at the CIPD Festival of Work.
Williams has been with the Reading-based HR, benefits and payroll software provider for over seven years. She joined the Ciphr Group board in 2022 and was promoted from CPO to chief people and operations officer in 2024; with her responsibilities expanding to include customer operations and experience, compliance, and information governance, as well as leading Ciphr’s people function and company-wide strategic initiatives.
In the past year, Ciphr has transformed how they support their people, prioritising wellbeing, inclusion, engagement and purpose-led performance. Among the highlights include relocating to Reading, restructuring internal processes, introducing a new V2MoM framework, acquiring and onboarding two businesses, and gaining CIPD People Development Partner (PDP) status.
Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, says: “I’m incredibly proud and delighted to have made the CIPD HR30 list. It’s an honour to be recognised alongside such inspiring professionals who are driving meaningful change across the people profession. This is not just a recognition of my work though, but a reflection of the brilliant teams I have the privilege to work with. And it motivates me even more to continue pushing boundaries and helping to shape the future of work.”
Alongside her role, Williams is a mentor to aspiring female leaders, both within Ciphr and, recently, as part of the CIPD Trust’s Aspiring HR Director (AHRD) programme. An influential voice in people leadership, she regularly contributes to industry webinars, and HR and business media.
Sion Lewis, CEO of Ciphr, says: “We’re delighted that Claire has been named on the CIPD HR30, and see her work at Ciphr celebrated. It’s very well-deserved and a testament to her talent and expertise. She exemplifies commitment to excellence in all aspects of her work and highlights why it’s so important that organisations amplify the voice and value of their HR people in the boardroom.”
Karen Lough, director of people at Ciphr, adds: “Under Claire’s leadership, Ciphr’s people team has successfully aligned our people strategy to the long-term objectives of the business, ensuring that HR is not only a support function but a strategic enabler of performance and growth.
“Her impact has been felt at every level of the business. She has championed an inclusive culture of empowerment and development, where everyone is encouraged to thrive, and where people remain at the heart of every decision. Claire exemplifies what modern HR leadership should be – strategic, bold, compassionate, and deeply human – and I am proud to work with, and learn from, her every day.”
Ciphr was recently announced as a triple finalist at the 2025 Thames Valley Tech & Innovation Awards, having been shortlisted for Tech Employer of the Year, Tech Leadership of the Year, and High Growth Tech Company of the Year.
The group has also been included in the 2025 edition of the Thames Valley 250 – an annual ranking that celebrates the top privately-owned businesses in the region (listed by annual sales turnover). Plus, the 2025 Thames Valley SME Growth 100 – an annual ranking of the fastest-growing small and medium-sized enterprises in the region (Ciphr has climbed from 73 on the list to 51).
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams, helping to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
Over 1,400 organisations globally use people management solutions from Ciphr Group, including Bensons for Beds, Lifetime Training, Bunzl, Haygrove, Crisis UK, Social Care Wales, Prudential, Barnardo's, Police Scotland, Greater London Authority, the Church of England, Newcastle University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, the Irish Universities Association, Evri, Michelin, INEOS, Shutterstock, and Perfetti Van Melle.
For more information, please visit www.ciphr.com.
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Media enquiries:
Emma-Louise Jones, digital PR manager at Ciphr
e: ejones@ciphr.com
Chris Boddice, chief marketing officer at Ciphr
e: cboddice@ciphr.com
Website: www.ciphr.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ciphr
Notes:
Photo of Claire Williams, Ciphr: https://www.ciphr.com/hubfs/corporate-pr-images/Claire%20Williams%20Ciphr.png
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams to help inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
The Ciphr Group is a privately held company backed by ECI Partners and headquartered in Reading. Over 230 employees work across the group, which includes Ciphr and Avantus.
Ciphr spokespeople are available to provide expert media comment on a broad range of topics, including HR strategy, people management, employee experience and wellbeing, payroll, benefits and rewards, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), learning and development, the future of work, tech trends, business and leadership, marketing, and more.
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