CPO Leadership Matters: An Interview with Caoimhe Keogan, AVEVA Group

Our CPO Leadership Matters series highlights the complex and far-reaching position of Chief People Officers, as their role in the boardroom becomes increasingly prominent. Through the voices of top people leaders, we discover how the CPO can align the people function with commercial objectives and transform conventional practices into strategic assets. 

Tell us about your current CPO role at AVEVA?

I am the CPO for the AVEVA Group globally. Until a couple of years ago, we were a FTSE listed business. In 2023 we were acquired by Schneider Electric and now form their independent software division.

Operating in over 60 countries with more than 6,000 people, I lead the global people function for AVEVA that encompasses everything from talent acquisition to HR operations through to HR business partnering, workplace experience and employee communications.

I am also responsible for overseeing the HR agenda at our two sister software companies, RIB and Etap, which also form part of the Schneider software division. That allows us to ensure we bring best practice in people operations and talent management, sharing services across a combined workforce of almost 10,000 employees globally.

What are the key parts of an effective people and culture strategy that aligns with business objectives?

As a technology business, talent is naturally a huge part of the people strategy. In a dynamic high-tech environment, acquiring and developing talent is a key pillar to future business success. There is a scarcity of the talent we want and need in our business, and so building a great people experience really matters, from the physical offices in which our people work flexibly, to every stage of the employee life cycle, from hire to retire – it all counts.

To support that, I think it’s important to have a balance between what unites us globally, such as our shared values and customer proposition, but also leaving space for local application. Creating a great experience for our people requires certain global aspects that are aligned to our inclusive culture, then with an overlay of local nuance I believe is crucial in a global operation.

Our people strategy has a targeted approach to leadership. Our business has a very dynamic, ever-changing operating environment and within that we are also transforming how we serve our customers from historically being a licensed software business into a software as a service (SaaS) model.

What are some of your main opportunities and challenges you've encountered within your role?

The biggest challenge throughout my career was the pandemic. I think that put a level of challenge into the CPO role that of course none of us expected. Having to communicate almost daily with the entire company, who were seeking guidance and direction particularly at the beginning, was a new level of pressure.

This period also represented a significant opportunity to demonstrate the critical importance of people and HR leadership within organisations during a deeply human crisis. Companies played a vital role in navigating these challenges while remaining aligned with their core purpose and mission.

Because there were so many things you couldn’t influence or change, I found that being a tech company, we were able to transition all of our work to an online basis, we could continue to run our businesses to the benefit of our customers, but in a way that also benefited our people. Being able to work, gave people a sense of some stability and purpose during a time that the world was a very uncertain place.

What trends do you foresee shaping the future of People and Culture?

AI and its impact on our organisation and workforce are very much at the top of my mind. There are ranges of views from overly positive to the overly concerned; I think AI presents lots of opportunity to improve the way people work, but I think it is going to fundamentally reshape the workplace. 

My personal perspective is somewhat of a neutral one - I'm not concerned about loss of jobs, but more about the different jobs and skills that are going to be needed soon.

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

I think to be an impactful CPO, gaining as much experience as possible from a global perspective will help you immensely, whether that's different rotations both inside and outside of the function; definitely spending time in the business is ideal if you are able, because it supports your development of your commerciality as a rounded business leader.

It can be quite a lonely profession at times, and you are the figurehead in a way for the organisation in terms of what it stands for and how it treats people. You need to be ready to challenge based on what you think are in the best interests of people as well as the business, which can be a constant tightrope. Sometimes that means you need to take a stand on issues and say things that others, including the CEO, may not want to hear. The real skill is learning how to do that in a way that is constructive so people will listen. 

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