People & Culture
Future-Ready CHROs 2.0: What Boards Expect From HR Leaders Today
4 min read
Speaking with The Economic Times - HR World, Áine Hurley explores the rapidly transforming role of Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) and how boards now expect HR leaders to act as strategic drivers of business performance, culture, and resilience.
No longer confined to policy and process, CHROs are being redefined as culture architects, risk stewards, and transformation catalysts.
Boards are increasingly looking for CHROs who bring a commercial mindset, strategic agility, and the ability to lead through uncertainty. These leaders must embed culture as a performance lever, align employee experience with executive vision, and integrate compensation and engagement strategies to support business goals.
The modern CHRO is expected to operate as a peer to other C-suite executives, contributing to enterprise-wide decisions and anticipating future workforce needs, especially in the face of AI disruption and geopolitical volatility.
Their remit now includes communications, sustainability, and risk management, reflecting the growing importance of people-related risks to organisational reputation and resilience.
Emotional intelligence remains a cornerstone of the role, with CHROs acting as the human voice in increasingly disconnected workplaces. They foster belonging, build purpose-driven cultures, and serve as trusted confidants to CEOs, often providing candid counsel during times of pressure.
As AI reshapes the business landscape, CHROs must lead the narrative around capability, ethics, and engagement in a data-driven world. Boards are seeking visionary HR leaders who combine cultural sensitivity with commercial acumen to future-proof their organisations.
Áine Hurley is a senior member of the Board Practice and also leads Odgers' Global People & Culture Practice. Her team specialises in recruiting HR Directors and experts across talent, reward, employee relations, organisational effectiveness, and leadership development.
Read Áine's full article with The Economic Times here:
HR World: Future-ready CHROs 2.0: What Boards Expect From HR Leaders Today
Get in touch. Follow the links below to learn more, or connect directly our dedicated executive search experts and People & Culture leadership consultants at your local Odgers office here.
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