CPO Leadership Matters: An Interview with Garry McCabe, Mater Private Network

What were your motivations towards your transition into your CPO role?

My previous roles have been HR director positions, most recently in a large global organisation, where I also held a Commercial director role. Particularly in global organisations, while you may have the title ‘director’ where you organise and direct the HR service, ultimately you're a business partner and or a generalist in all but name and title. These roles are less strategic, more tactical. Of course, you spend time in strategy, but 90% of your time is dedicated to the operation of supporting and generating an impactful HR service profile within the business. 

It’s more long-term focus, rather than dealing with the day-to-day, it’s about driving real value and tangible results from HR services. Instead of being embedded directly in the business, you take a step back to make sure the service your team provides, is not only fit for purpose, its fit for future and adds meaningful value. 

What are the key components of an effective people and culture strategy that aligns with objectives of a private hospital?

I don't think it differs depending on the industry - I think the differentiators for the most successful CPOs/CHROs is their ability to commercialise all activity. It’s about really understanding how the inputs, momentum, and outcomes can be translated into tangible financial results. This then ties into the organisation’s overall value proposition, how it’s aiming to generate impact through its people, its services, and the goals it’s working towards. 

If you are a CPO who truly offers values to an organisation, the commercialisation is the critical aspect. I believe that all of the other duties and responsibilities of a CPO, in terms of focusing on your teams, keeping the right people and fostering their development etc, is “rhythm”, as that's what we do every day. The true differentiation is the ability to commercialise what HR actually delivers and display that value at a board level and into the organisation. 

What are the key challenges and opportunities of a CPO?

When I was an HR director, I often wondered what the CPO or CHRO actually did. From where I sat, it looked like they were mainly focused on delivering centralised tools like HRIS or global performance management frameworks, and setting agendas for remuneration committees. Beyond that, their impact wasn’t always visible, and we weren’t always engaged in the way I would’ve liked. 

But when I stepped into a CPO role myself, albeit into a smaller organisation of 3,000 colleagues, I began to see things differently. The opportunity to influence the business is much greater than I’d realised, and the way you influence is often more subtle. I now understand why getting the right systems, processes, structures, etc in place centrally, is so critical in an organisational and control context. 

It’s a great way to think about the role, because you’re adding value to both the people and the organisation, every single day.

What future trends do you believe are shaping the future of people and culture?

Future trends for clinical healthcare will be dominated by the war for talent. The most recent statistics tell us we will be 11 million healthcare professionals short by 2030 across the globe, while the demand for services is ever rising.  

In Ireland, we’re fishing in the same talent pool as every other developed country. Globally, there are three dominant sources of healthcare talent, being the Philippines, India, and South Africa. So, we must be incredibly mindful of cultural differences and norms in those countries, and how we help those people adapt to our own cultural context.  

It’s a delicate balancing act, and you only get to navigate it once those individuals are here, which means being an attractive employer is critical. That’s the real challenge now. We’re competing with major healthcare providers across Europe and North America for a limited pool of talent. 

This environment puts huge pressure on retention. We simply can’t afford to lose people. And when we do, it can take four to five months to bring someone new in, between visa processes, exit permissions from their home country, entry requirements here, and adapting their skills to meet Irish standards. It’s a long and complex journey. 

That’s why our retention strategies need to be rock solid and is exactly where our cultural awareness becomes so vital. It’s not just about understanding where people come from, but about creating an environment where they feel they belong and can thrive.

What advice would you give to aspiring CPO leaders looking to make a significant impact in their organisation?

Commercialisation of HR activity is ultimately what gives you buy-in. If you can show that you can add positive impact to the bottom line as a result of well thought through people practises, the reality is the organisation will continue to invest in you and your HR Teams services. 

This, however, is not a skill that is out there in abundance – there are relatively few CPOs and CHROS who are operating on that basis, but I believe it to be a real differentiation opportunity for young aspiring CPOs. 

 
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