Q: Please give a short guide to your career

A: I studied history at university, and all the way through my degree I worked full time in retail and hospitality. That naturally led me into retail management/area manager roles when I graduated. I progressed quite quickly and was managing people fairly early in my career.

After a period of reflection about what I really wanted to do, I narrowed it down to HR or marketing, with a brief flirtation with becoming a history teacher. I even spent a week shadowing my old history teacher and very quickly realised that wasn’t for me.

A close friend of mine at the time was an HR Director, and over a glass of wine she talked me through what her average week looked like. I found it genuinely inspiring and decided I wanted to give HR a go. I had no HR experience and no CIPD qualification, so my original plan was to go into an external recruitment agency to get a year’s experience, move into internal recruitment, and then transition into HR.

I spent two months in external recruitment before being offered the opportunity to join HSS in recruitment. I was actively reaching out to internal recruitment teams across the North West at the time, and a friend recommended HSS. I joined, spent six months recruiting full time here  – around 2014 – and then an opportunity came up within the HR team.

After six months in recruitment, I moved into HR, started studying for my CIPD, and stepped into a frontline HR advisor role. That move from recruitment into advising on HR issues was one of the most challenging transitions I’ve made professionally – it was a steep learning curve in a discipline I had no formal background in.

From there I progressed to HR Business Partner – which is probably one of my favourite roles – and then into a Head of HR role, and eventually into my current position as HR Director. I’ve been with the organisation for around 12 years, and all of my HR experience has been built here, from the ground up.

Q: What have been some stand‑out achievements?

A: One of the clear stand‑out achievements for me is the business separation and disposal project last year.

It was a large‑scale, complex corporate transaction involving multiple businesses and hundreds of colleagues. When the project was first briefed, it felt almost alien in its scale.

From a people and TUPE perspective, the challenge was enormous: crafting processes that were legally compliant, fair to colleagues, well‑timed, and well‑communicated, while coordinating with other HR and communications teams across different organisations. There were nights when we were still working at 11pm, just continuing the day.

What I’m most proud of is that we didn’t default to a minimal, tick‑box compliance approach. We put a huge amount of emphasis on empathetic, clear, and timely communication, recognising that these changes carried a significant emotional impact for hundreds of people. We worked hard to over‑communicate where necessary, maintain consistency of message across three businesses, and ensure colleagues were supported throughout.

It was all‑consuming at times and felt, on occasion, almost unachievable – but we got it over the line. It’s a major professional milestone for me.

On a personal level, that project also stands out because it happened around 10 months after I returned from maternity leave. Balancing the demands of a large‑scale corporate transaction with being a working mum for the first time added another dimension to the challenge, and I’m proud of how I managed both.

Q: What attracted you to HR?

A: Like many people who end up in HR, I do genuinely enjoy working with people – but for me it goes a bit deeper than that.

In my early retail and hospitality management roles, I found myself leading teams without really being given the tools or guidance on how to do that well. I enjoyed the job, but there was a point where I realised I was responsible for a team of people and was essentially figuring it out as I went along. I didn’t always get it right.

That integration between people and commercial performance is a big part of what continues to motivate me.”

When I sat down with my friend who was an HR Director, she talked me through what she was responsible for as a senior HR leader and the impact HR can have on culture, leadership capability, and the management population in a business. It was clear to me that this was exactly the gap I’d been feeling in my own development as a people manager.

That conversation opened my eyes to HR as a function that equips managers, shapes culture, and has a meaningful influence on how people experience work.

With a panel consisting of Tom Bright, Director of The Talent World; Hannah Ford, Managing Director, Maru Search & Consultancy; Caroline Woolland, HR Director, The King’s Fund and Nebel Crowhurst, Fractional Chief People Officer at Each Person the webinar covered the subject of HR careers from many perspectives giving viewers a chance to take control of their working lives.

The discussion began by outlining why the jobs market was particularly challenging at the moment. Hannah Ford suggested that following the pandemic there had been a shift in the type of HR talent required by organisations, notably moving from the general to the specialist. Trends such as the rise in technology had also powered this movement, with the result that there were now fewer opportunities for HR generalists and more people actively seeking such roles.

Together, the panel outlined some initiatives and approaches HR professionals can take – whether they’re currently looking for work or simply wondering what their next steps might be while in their current position. Addressing your CV was high on the list, ensuring it presents you in the most appealing way – highlighting previous successes and demonstrating true business impact. The panel also emphasised the benefits of networking – particularly making contacts in person rather than only online. In this way HR professionals stand more chance of finding out about opportunities and being considered when such opportunities emerge.

With questions answered from the audience along the way, this was a lively and important webinar, ideal for setting up HR professionals for their next challenge and for the new year. According to Tom Bright the market is beginning to show some green shoots, and this webinar enables HR talent to prepare and be ready for whatever opportunities may emerge.

Companies often overlook their internal talent

Many companies tend to focus on hiring externally because it’s what they’ve always done, or they think it will bring fresh ideas and innovation. This can mean missing out on talented individuals and valuable ideas from people who already understand the business and culture.

Our EY Mobility Reimagined survey found that, in 2025, only 52% of employers say it’s easy to find the required global talent to meet business needs. As employers face skills shortages and a competitive labour market, it’s a great time now more than ever before to look inwards for candidates and to offer reskilling opportunities to those who are already valued.

At EY, we’ve introduced AI-powered tools like My Career Hub to help uncover internal talent and make it easier for people to move into new roles. Users create a skills profile, market their qualifications and experiences, and identify gaps where they want to build competencies. For EY, the data enables us to manage and develop our workforce to deploy skills where we need them and to meet current and future market demands.

Organisations can identify the full potential of current employees, even if managers and employees may have fixed views about their role

It starts with changing how we think. At EY, we make efforts to encourage open career conversations anytime – not just during formal reviews. This helps us understand what people want out of their careers and how we can give it to them. We also help managers look beyond job titles to see transferable skills. Programs like NextGen Leadership and our Recruiter Academy support this, and we help our people to match people’s skills with new opportunities. 

only 52% of employers say it’s easy to find the required global talent to meet business needs

Instead of static roles, organisations can try offering new challenges or encouraging new experiences like rotations and secondments across teams, functions and even geographies to bring out the full potential of employees. An EY example is Mobility4U, our global mobility program where participants can work across cultures and borders. Eighty-four percent of assignees report a positive impact on their careers over the long-term, and those who have taken an assignment have a 24% higher promotion rate.

Learning and development can support internal recruitment

Traditional L&D often focuses on climbing the ladder in one area. At EY, we support sideways moves and cross-team growth. Our learning programs are tied to real roles and career paths, helping people build in-demand skills that lead to new opportunities. We also offer mentoring and stretch assignments to help people grow in different directions. 

The company’s sense of pride in their work is unquestionable, however, the business is also well aware of the challenges that exist in creating, managing and developing this workforce. 

Giving employees control and power

According to Moens one issue facing the sector is that workers do not have a good perspective on, or transparency around their career options. To some extent workers are simply putting their heads down and doing the job, and while SBM’s record for employee satisfaction is higher than the industry average, the business believed it could do better, not least in continuing to address the gender imbalance that pervades the industry.

In order to do this, the company decided to move away from the existing more paternalistic style towards something that offered the chance for an ‘adult to adult’ relationship between manager and employee, and across the company.

“We wanted our employees to be in the driving seat of their own careers,” explains Moens, “and to do do that we needed to have a dialogue about the competency and ability of each employee. Through that we could also define and measure the contribution of the employee to the company goals.”

Building a competency structure that works

The answer was to create a competency structure which covered every role within the business. Unsurprisingly, creating the framework alone took more than a year of work, redefining the architecture of how each role related to another, and then working with managers on the functional and behavioural competencies relating to each position.

Having completed that and made it accessible through the HR IT system the company is now engaging in the first self-assessments by employees. During these assessments the employee initially decides how they compare to each competency – are they ‘junior’ or ‘mastering’ the competency – and these self-assessments are then validated by their immediate managers. 

The competency structure has also enabled the business to create career paths within each job family.  There are now graphic representations – “Metro maps” – depicting career paths within the company giving employees a clear visualisation of where they currently are and where they can go.

A positive mind shift for employees

“The shift has moved our employees from asking ‘what do I need to do’ to being able to assess what they are capable of doing and how they can build on that,” says Moens. 

“With that information they can then make their best contribution to the overall business goal. We hope that this will support our position where no-one in the company just comes to work to get a pay check.

Carolyn Miller’s career has always been powered by the need to have a positive business impact. Having gained a Business Administration degree with German, her first role was a temporary job working for a small UK construction company who were getting to grips with the opportunities created by the historical reunification of Germany. Thinking she’d be in place for six months, six years later she’d been involved with every aspect of the business, her German language capability opening up the door into new markets and revenue growth for the company. From engaging with prospects and clients to sales negotiation to resourcing projects, Miller gained first-hand experience of what it took to build and run a business and make it profitable.

Having benefited from this solid grounding, Miller decided she wanted to specialise in HR. To help set her apart from the competition, she completed an MBA in her spare time whilst working, delivering a dissertation on change management. Shortly afterwards she landed her first HR role with a global IT organisation where she took on diverse HR Business Partner roles for some large client accounts. “It was fantastic experience with considerable levels of accountability,” she says. “There was no question about the importance of the HR function for the business and this was also reflected in the high levels of investment in a bespoke HR Academy to enable us to deliver to the highest level of capability.”

Career moves

From there she advanced through HR roles at two other tech companies CSC and VMware, taking on increasing responsibility and positions with both EMEA and global scope, as each business drove its digital transformation. Two stand out areas that she lead on were Mergers and Acquisitions and she introduced a ground-breaking Mental Health programme.

These roles culminated in her joining Capgemini two and a half years ago. The French owned business and IT transformation company employs some 360,000 people globally with around 13,000 in the UK. Miller is the Vice President of HR for the country, giving her a seat on the UK Country Board. In this position her focus in on delivering an exceptional employee experience through all the “moments that matter” to provide both individual and business growth. 

The importance of that experience has been demonstrated by some of her latest work for the business. In October of last year with Miller taking the lead, the UK was one of the first countries globally within Capgemini to deliver an HR transformation programme, deploying smart digital tools and harmonised processes into the business along with an integrated, agile new HR model and an elevated People Manager role. 

Transformation for the better

The transformation work has seen the introduction of new technology which offers an enhanced user experience which is also mobile enabled. It has automated many routine activities, empowering managers and employees to do their work faster and more efficiently. The experience of the UK undergoing this change is already informing further roll-outs in other parts of the world. “We’re enabling our HR partners to step away from the administrative tasks and add value to the business in ways they haven’t done before,” says Miller. “If there is less operational work we need to do we can concentrate on more strategic initiatives that focus on getting the best from our people, delivering on their career and learning aspirations and driving enhanced organisational performance.”

Getting the best from their people is critical of course but the impact goes beyond the internal impact. Miller is very much aware that satisfied and engaged internal customers creates value for Capgemini’s external clients. Equally she recognises in turn that HR needs to look out into the external world of customers and partners to help inform and shape Capgemini’s people practices in the UK and places considerable worth on her external network to achieve this. 

Scale and efficiency

We took on our first apprentice in 2011 and since then 70 have come through our business, recruited in business administration, finance, multi-utility, warehousing and other key roles. Out on site and in our offices, we have people, including these apprentices, who are completely new to the sector, just starting their careers, working alongside those that have been immersed in the construction sector for decades.  

Whilst different generations of workers can have vastly different values and work styles – there can be a 50-year age gap between our teams working together on site – as a business this can be hugely beneficial. Whilst of course there can be challenges when people have very different ways of working, in my experience, the benefits far outweigh any downsides.

Reverse mentoring 

Whilst we don’t have a structured reverse mentoring programme in place, as a business we work hard to encourage the transferring of skills from those new to our business, to those who have been with us for years, and vice versa. This informal mentoring has been a powerful tool for fostering innovation and enhancing knowledge transfer. 

Set objectives 

Before embarking on a reverse mentor programme, be clear about what you want to achieve. It may be that you want to introduce a formal programme, linking people up over the long term and introducing incentives such as bonuses or reward certificates – or you could informally encourage opportunities for team members to interact and learn from each other. In my experience, this route can be more effective as it allows relationships to develop naturally. It could be as simple as encouraging team members to interact at lunch time, by providing regular team lunches in a communal room, or encouraging interaction during coffee breaks. 

As many of our team are out on site most of the day informal sessions can take place during break times, and there are plenty of opportunities for younger team members to shadow experienced colleagues. Digital tools are also used to provide quick digital training sessions, with younger mentors supporting their less digitally-savvy colleagues.

He was offered his first real job before completing the graduate course when a member of the HR team left and subsequently offered him a position as lead for the manufacturing part of Revlon International. With that move, Simmons became responsible for around 1000 people.

“That really grew my experience and career,” he says. “It gave me experience as an HR generalist, dealing with everything including Trade Unions and employer relations.”

Simmons moved on to become HR manager across a number of sites for Body Shop before taking on a role at Christian Salvesen as an HR Business Partner. He’s stayed in the transport and logistics sector ever since, working for Norbert Dentressangle, XPO and finally GXO. Unsurprisingly his career has included foreign experience and given him a view over international businesses. He has also guided the people function – and through this the wider businesses – through a number of take-overs and significant business deals, as well as ensuring the companies he works for have not just the people they require but the skills necessary to lead in their sectors.

Strategy and tactics

The breadth of experience offered by these roles, alongside the influence achieved has always attracted Simmons and ensured he’s pushed forward in the function: “HR requires strategic and tactical leadership,” he says. “At the same time you have to be close to the business and be able to articulate the direction of the business. It’s a role where you can influence every part of the organisation.” His role at GXO has been particularly influential and incredibly important as the business has grown from 5000 people to 40,0000, now enjoying a £3bn turnover. 

What is the true value of Learning and Development for a company and how can Digital Learning Resources enhance the effectiveness and delivery of learning materials?

In this episode from The HR World and sponsored by Cezanne HR, Grace Meritt-Hall, Learning and Development Manager at Cezanne HR, culture and employee engagement specialist Richard Roberts and Russell Miller, Director of Learning Solutions & Innovation for Executive Education explored current learning solutions available for businesses, discussing how best these resources could be deployed.

Within the realms for HR, there is one question that persistently caught me dumbfounded for words. And that is the number of (Singapore) CHROs that become CEOs.

For the longest time, I did not have an answer because no one naturally came to my mind. Are there even any CHROs that became CEO?

In the global context, yes.

There are a number of them that took over the top job at companies. People such as:

1. Lisa M. Weber – Former President of MetLife
2. Mary Barra – CEO of General Motors, who held HR roles before her CEO ascension.
3. Nigel Travis – CEO of Dunkin’ Brands Group (2009-Present), previously head of HR for Burger King.
4. Anne Mulcahy – CEO of Xerox (2001-2009), worked as vice president for human resources before becoming CEO.
5. Bernard Fontana – CEO of Areva (2015), was the CHRO of ArcelorMittal before becoming CEO.

So why can’t I immediately think of a single name in my local context?

There isn’t a study to show the percentage of CHROs that became CEOs versus other functions such as COO, CFO, or SVP of Sales.

However, it is generally understood that the path from CHRO to CEO is less common than from other executive roles that are traditionally seen as more directly tied to a company’s core business operations and financial performance, such as COO or CFO.

According to a 2019 study that studied the best path to becoming a CEO, the most common functions from which CEOs of Fortune 100 companies emerge are:

1. Operations: 25% of Fortune 100 CEOs began their careers in an operational role.
2. Finance: 22% of Fortune 100 CEOs started in finance-related functions.
3. Engineering: 17% of CEOs came from an engineering background.
4. Sales/Marketing: 13% had a sales or marketing background.
5. Accounting: 11% started in accounting.
6. Law: 7% of CEOs had a legal background.

Additionally, the roles of CFO, COO, and head of division are the most frequent stepping stones to the CEO role, with 66% of current Fortune 100 CEOs having held one of these three positions prior to becoming CEO.

The percentage of CHRO is so low that it did not warrant a mention by the author of the study.

Why are CHROs ignored for the top job?

Well, there are a few key reasons:

1. Skill Set Perception and Stereotyping: CHROs are often stereotyped as lacking the broad business acumen and strategic vision required for the CEO role.
2. Limited P&L Experience: Many CHROs do not have direct experience managing profit and loss (P&L), which is a critical skill for CEOs who need to drive business growth and manage overall profitability.
3. Limited Exposure to External Stakeholders: CHROs typically focus on internal stakeholders and may have less experience dealing with external parties such as investors, customers, and regulatory bodies, which is essential for CEOs.
4. Strategic Leadership Versus Operational Focus: The CHRO role is often more operational and focused on human resources management, while the CEO role requires a strategic and visionary approach to lead the company.
5. Succession Planning and Organisational Culture: Boards and committees often prioritise candidates with traditional leadership experiences in operations or sales for CEO roles, potentially overlooking CHROs.

It’s also important to note that only 1% of CHROs specifically aspire to become CEOs, indicating a motivation gap that may also contribute to the rarity of this transition.

Despite all these challenges, there is a growing recognition of the strategic value that HR leaders can bring to the CEO role, especially as companies increasingly prioritise talent management and organisational culture as key components of business success.

Especially so in the age of commoditised AI. 

What can CHROs do about it?

To address these challenges and increase the likelihood of CHROs transitioning to CEO roles, several strategies can be employed:

• Diversifying Skill Sets: CHROs could seek opportunities to broaden their skill sets beyond HR, such as engaging in cross-functional projects or pursuing executive education in finance or strategy.
• Enhancing Business Acumen: Gaining exposure to external stakeholders and aligning HR initiatives with strategic objectives can help CHROs demonstrate their understanding of business drivers and revenue strategies.
• Embracing Strategic Leadership: Focusing on high-level strategic initiatives within their role and demonstrating the ability to communicate effectively with external stakeholders can position CHROs as credible candidates for the CEO role.

Moreover, the role of the CHRO in CEO succession planning is crucial, as they play a pivotal role in establishing a succession planning process, identifying and monitoring CEO successor candidates, and ensuring a smooth transition. 

This involvement in succession planning underscores the strategic importance of the CHRO role and its potential as a stepping stone to the CEO position.

But ultimately, it all has to begin with the motivation to become a CEO. And that would come from knowing that although it is rare, it is not impossible.

So how many Singapore CHROs became CEOs? 

According to my LinkedIn search, the answer is two. Vincent Tan, the CEO at Comfort Driving School who started with them as a VP, Group HR before becoming their COO and, now, their CEO. The other CEO is Wei-Lyn Loh, the CEO at Asia Capital Re. She was their Head of HR before becoming their Chief Corporate Officer, COO and finally CEO.

I do know of one CHRO who is currently a COO. Perhaps the number would grow to three soon. But in a country with 186 CHROs (again, my LinkedIn search), two or three appears to be less than a drop in the ocean.

While the path from CHRO to CEO is less common, it is not insurmountable. By collectively addressing perceptions, gaining business exposure, and embracing strategic leadership, HR professionals can position themselves as credible candidates for the CEO role. 

Don’t underestimate the power of the CHRO: with the right skills and experience, they could be the next generation of visionary CEOs.

And it may help me to be less dumbfounded when I am asked the same question in the near future.

What is the true value of Learning and Development for a company and how can Digital Learning Resources enhance the effectiveness and delivery of learning materials?

In this month’s webinar from The HR World and sponsored by Cezanne HR, Grace Meritt-Hall, Learning and Development Manager at Cezanne HR, culture and employee engagement specialist Richard Roberts and Russell Miller, Director of Learning Solutions & Innovation for Executive Education explored current learning solutions available for businesses, discussing how best these resources could be deployed.

With the value of education and training beyond question, the tools now exist to deliver a variety of education initiatives – everything from onboarding training, compliance and role specific skills, together with more broader skills. However, the panel’s discussion demonstrated how a mix of solutions, together with human input and interaction, was the best way to ensure traction and value from learning experiences.

The benefits of Digital Learning Resources undoubtedly lie in the flexibility which can be brought to the provision of training, not just in terms of where and when the individual learns, but also in terms of the subjects and skills on offer. Technology can now offer flexible solutions to match the individual’s training needs and learning preferences, taking into consideration where they are in the organisation. In this way L&D doesn’t just meet the immediate skill needs of an organisation but can offer a more general learning experience for the employee, thereby contributing to hiring and retention.

Technology can also now be used to measure and assess the impact of training, to make it a more personalized experience for employees and thereby meeting their needs in a more accurate and timely way. The webinar is well worth a view whatever your own learning journey might be on the development road.