They are business leaders who happen to own the people portfolio 🎯
KennedyFitch's 2025 recap of CHRO/CPO career journeys is one of the most honest reads on what the top HR seat demands in 2026
The parts that will stop any aspiring CHRO in their tracks:
1️⃣ The modern CHRO sits at the overlap of THREE roles: Chief People Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Digital Officer. Jeroen Wels (COFRA) describes it as 3 overlapping circles. Miss one & you are doing the old job. HR expertise is a hygiene factor, not a differentiator
2️⃣ At ASM, under CHRO Edyta Jakubek, revenues DOUBLED in 2.5 years AND 2,500 highly qualified employees were hired in 2 years. That is not "HR support." That is business co-leadership 🚀
3️⃣ NONE of the 5 CHROs interviewed walked in with a "Day One strategy"
This contradicts every "First 90 Days" cliché. One of them said: "If I give you a full strategy in week two, you should worry. It means I have not yet understood your reality". Transitions are earned through listening 👂🏼, not announced through slide decks
4️⃣ The "shadow of leadership" is real — and underestimated. Once you sit on the ExCo, an offhand remark is heard as a decision. Silence is heard as disapproval. Most new CHROs discover this by accidentally starting a project they did not mean to launch
5️⃣ Loneliness is the #1 surprise of the role. Mathieu Pointeau from BREITLING & Satbir Bains from SHL Medical both independently named it. Every interviewee mentioned a "personal board of advisors" as essential 🤝🏻
💡 A few truths for anyone on the path:
→ P&L fluency, ExCo courage & strategic co-leadership separate the top seat from the layer below it
→ Say your ambition out loud & still — "take the role seriously, not yourself"
→ Touch every pillar of HR before you step in: Talent, Rewards, L&D, ER, Org Design
→ Values fit is non-negotiable. You cannot walk the line between business & people with values misalignment
As one interviewee put it: "The real work starts when the people strategy IS the business strategy"
❓ One question for aspiring CHROs, CPOs & future functional leaders: Are you building a functional career — or a business career that happens to lead people?
📣 But don't take my word for it. Take it from a recent CHRO client of mine:
💬 “I have greatly benefitted from Navid’s coaching & would describe his coaching approach to be an effective mix of professionalism & empathy that is focussed on achieving results. The feedback that I have received as a result of our coaching is outstanding. I’d highly recommend Navid to any Executive who is looking to maximise their leadership impact"
#CPO #CHRO #MasteringExecutiveTransitions #ETQ
About Navid Nazemian
Ranked as the world’s #1 Executive Coach by CEO Today for the third year running, I partner with senior leaders to navigate complexity, accelerate performance, and lead through critical transitions. Over the past two decades, I’ve supported hundreds of executives in overcoming unproductive thinking and solving their most complex leadership challenges—helping their organizations build world-class cultures and create lasting value.
If you’d like to reflect on a leadership challenge, an upcoming transition, or how I might support you, you’re very welcome to reply directly to this email.
You can also:
1. Connect with me on LinkedIn for additional leadership insights
2. Explore my international best-selling book "Mastering Executive Transitions: The Definitive Guide" described by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith as “THE ultimate guide to executive transitions to help leaders achieve their highest potential”
3. Enrol in my newly launched e-Learning programme Mastering Leadership Transitions - my transition methodology in a self-paced format for leaders at every level
4. Work with me on a per-session basis via EveryExpert - a flexible alternative to a full coaching engagement, starting with a complimentary 15-minute Chemistry Call
What's Next? More insights on leadership, transitions, and executive effectiveness are coming your way next week. I’d genuinely value your perspective—feel free to share your reflections by replying to this email. I read every response.
Navid
