Breaking the Mold: How HR Executives Are Shaping the Future of CEO Leadership

By Claire Harbour and Antoine Tirard

We’ve previously explored the role of People leaders (CHROs) and discussed how it’s not only feasible but sometimes even advantageous to lead the Human Resources function without a traditional background in it. Our article sparked a lively debate on the merits of business versus functional leadership, questioning whether the strategic generalist or the specialized expert is more critical to driving organizational success. This time, we decided to explore a path somewhat less travelled: that of CEOs who come up through the HR function.

In 2022, Forbes published an article titled “Why More CEOs Should Look To CHROs As Successors” arguing that CHROs excel in managing change, understanding company culture, and handling complex people issues – skills that are increasingly vital for CEOs. While this idea isn’t new, such appointments are still rare and, as highlighted by a recent survey by Marc Effron, the majority of HR leaders limit their career goals to within the HR field. In fact, we had to scour our address books and LinkedIn connections for a while before we found the appropriate subjects to interview.

We are convinced that a good People leaders can make a great CEO. But, what defines that “good”? And what makes for a successful transition, knitting together the best of the human function and the commercial acumen and ambition of attaining the top role? In this article, we dive into these questions. We believe that not only will it shatter some of your preconceived notions about the path to the top, but also that you will find a substantial quantity of inspiration around “good leadership” along the way. 

Why Former CHROs Make Great CEOs

Former CHROs bring several distinctive strengths to the CEO role that make them uniquely equipped to lead. These include: 

• Strong leadership skills: CHROs often possess a unique blend of leadership traits—such as empathy, strategic thinking, and resilience—that align closely with those of successful CEOs.
• Deep understanding of organizational dynamics: Former CHROs bring valuable insights into how employees and processes operate within the company. This knowledge helps them navigate and lead the organization more effectively.
• Expertise in talent management: HR leaders excel in sourcing, developing, and retaining talent. This experience equips them to build strong teams and drive the company’s strategic goals.
• Proficiency in culture building: A background in HR helps CEOs create and maintain a positive company culture, which is crucial for driving performance and employee engagement.
• Ability to manage change: Experience in HR prepares leaders to handle organizational transformations and employee-related challenges effectively, making them well-suited for the CEO role.

Amit: a journey from HR roots to business leadership in financial services

Growing up in a military family in India, moving schools seven times in twelve years, gave Amit an edge in social adaptability. His self-made father, who valued hard work and honesty, saw education as the key to success. But when it came to university study choices, father and son were at odds. Having yearned for medicine and dabbled with engineering, Amit was tempted to do an MBA in the quest for a career in business. At his chosen school, he opted for an upcoming specialty in HR, despite his father’s objections, compared to his recommended path of Marketing. Despite the opposition, Amit “pursued and fell in love with HR, like an arranged marriage”.

While working part-time on a campus program, Amit met executives and boldly asked what companies looked for in graduates. To build his leadership skills, he became president of the student council and soon landed his first job at SmithKline Beecham. Working in HR for a regional sales team, he was fascinated by the basics, getting out into the territory as much as he could, taking on the simplest of jobs and getting under the skin of the crucial “ordinary” employees. And thus began his unusual interest in the business side of HR. His next roles stretched him, and exposed him to nurturing managers. He worked subsequently in other values-driven multinationals in the financial services industry, and recognizes the contribution to his success that these forward-thinking organizations made. He was considered “a little weird” with regard to how much of his time he spent in getting to know whatever business he was in, insisting on experiencing everything from selling toothpaste to shadowing a bank teller, but the reward was an appreciation of being an HR business partner who actually understood the business.

Name: Amit Malik

Nationality: Indian

HR Experience: Various HR roles at Aviva, Bank of America, ABN Amro, Bank, American Express and GSK

CEO Experience: CEO & Managing Director of Aviva India, President Japan Asia Pacific &Australia at WadzPay

Amit had set out clear goals from the outset, and exceeded his first major milestone 13 years into his career, when he was made CHRO for Aviva India. His next target was a regional or global role, and he gave himself an ultimatum to be there within five years, or to shift gears and go elsewhere. He was sent on an executive program at Oxford, and just over a year later, having been given the opportunity to present to the board outside of his own HR sphere, his talents were recognized, and he was rewarded with the COO role, alongside that of CHRO. Now his claim that he “knew the business” was really under test, and he recognized that the knowledge gap was huge, so he came up with an ingenious solution. Having hired a Chief of Staff, he freed up time to focus on learning more about the business of insurance, including reading from cover to cover manuals that many of the business leaders had not necessarily read themselves. He also chose to question every single demand on his time, until there were real efficiencies in place. He was doing two jobs, and had a great deal to prove.

Doubts emerged in his mind, now and then, as he pushed through this dual-role phase. But he counted on his history as a hard-worker, and reminded himself of the support he had from his boss and the board. He added another key to his success: a daily hour of « reflection time » to spark creativity and insight, a tip from his Oxford Executive Programme coach. Eventually all his careful strategy paid off, and, when the India CEO left, he became one of the handful of candidates for the role.

As the chosen one, Amit began his period as CEO at a challenging time. The business was globally weakening, and it was in the middle of Covid-19. But this meant all the more that his People touch was relevant, even crucial. He knew who he could trust, and whom he could empower to do what was needed, which gave him a head start.

One strong insight from the transition was about “the table”. Previously in his leadership he had been strong in being “a part of the table”, whereas now he “owned the table”. So he found challenge in learning to be the “last to speak as CEO”, so as to avoid fawning and humoring from his colleagues. The shift from being a peer amongst peers, to being their boss and requiring accountability from them, was particularly challenging, and he recognized the need for a rapid transformation in that respect.

Another crucial shift was in finding the confidence to “be” the leader, and he found solace in the fact that he had done so much business learning, and continued to do what his children called his “homework”, reading at home for the whole evening, after a long day at the office.

Amit enjoyed finding and refining the balance between strategic vision and daily execution. He delivered strong results early on and for the duration of the two-year period he spent at the helm of Aviva India.

Eventually, with another five-year period ending, he left in search of something even more fulfilling. Faced with the choice between staying in traditional insurance or exploring a “new generation” field, he opted for the latter. Despite the skeptics, he found a regional leadership role in Fintech, where he now thrives, enjoying the challenges of strategic partnerships and business development.

Amit knows people like to pigeonhole others, which may conflict with the vision he has always had for his own career . He also treasures the fact that he has the courage of his convictions always at the fore, however unpopular that might make him at times. He believes work becomes easy when you’re honest with yourself and do the right thing, letting the consequences unfold naturally. His personal transformation has been profound, leaving him more self-assured, grateful, open to experimentation, and able to let go.

His advice for others wishing to follow this path from people to business? “To experiment, to have the courage to do so early on, to have a strong purpose of ‘why’ and to not worry about making honest mistakes along the way.” Amit’s own journey is far from over, and while he would characterize this current iteration as Amit 2.0, he is already pondering on what Amit 3.0 might look like, and is working on that transformation with energy and confidence.

Precious: an unconventional rise from aspiring astronaut to corporate leader

Precious grew up in a smaller city in Zimbabwe, the middle child of five, with a father in an NGO and a home-based entrepreneur mother. At school, her strengths were debate, acting and public speaking, with her father’s pride pushing her onto stages, boosting her confidence and natural gregariousness.

A dream of becoming an astronaut was dashed at age 12 when a naysayer told Precious that “there are no astronauts in a country like this: you cannot go to space on an empty belly”. Despite this setback, she shifted her focus and, although initially planning to study Law at university, ended up in Psychology.Thanks to her boyfriend’s advice to gain an HR qualification, she landed a job at the nation’s largest furniture retailer the day after graduation.

Her boss believed firmly in mentoring and coaching, and he told her: “I am going to teach you in a short time everything I’ve learnt over a 20-year career.” His main message was to learn to think like a leader, to get into an owner’s or shareholder’s mindset, and that this would distinguish her from all the HR function-thinking others. This led to being promoted to take over from him, and then becoming HR leader at 22, “leading a bunch of grown men. And I owed it all to him”. Shortly afterwards, she became General Manager Operations, once again invited to replace her former boss.

This early leadership role was unexpected, but she was given the tools she needed, including an MBA and strong support, even though she felt unprepared.

Name: Precious Murena

Nationality: Zimbabwean

HR Experience: HR roles in a Furniture Paradise and Larfarge, HR consultant

CEO Experience: CEO of LafargeHolcim Zimbabwe

The next three years were tough for the country, with hyperinflation and more, leading her to leave and thrive in a prominent consulting firm. Initially impervious to a mouthwatering offer from client company Lafarge, Precious succumbed to the temptation of an opportunity to build a career in a multinational organization. She found herself sitting at the executive committee table as the youngest member, and the only woman. The scope to improve the lot of women in the organization, from spotting that they had to wear safety shoes that were five sizes too big, to reducing harassment and attrition, was enormous, and she tackled issues with confidence and impact. A great support was offered in the form of a coach, who helped her to form a career vision, which “would see her become an entrepreneur by 40”. There was still plenty of time to learn along the way. With 20/20 hindsight she says: “At the time, I had zero vision of becoming a CEO. There were no female CEOs, no black CEOs, and no CEOs from HR, so it was not even on my radar screen”

When a former colleague, now at another company, was promoted to CEO, she drove for a couple of hours to ask him: “How did you achieve that?”. His advice was that she needed to make herself indispensable, by increasing her range, and to volunteer to tackle projects of all kinds, using these as a vehicle for results and visibility. So off she went to apply the same formula, telling each of her successive managers that she was “bored” and wanted more. Her scope increased geographically initially, and then by responsibility for communication, CSR, PR and more. And the crowning touch was an innovation project for social housing, which had her interacting with top leaders globally. She was then offered the leadership of Strategy, and dispatched to a “life-changing” executive course at Harvard Business School, where her eyes were opened to a new range of possibilities, leading to the first profitable year for a long time for Lafarge. Shortly after, she was offered the chance to replace the CEO. “I would never have applied for it without the push, even if the job had been delivered and put on my bed!”.

But she did accept the challenge. The launch drew significant media attention as she became “the first black female CEO of a MNC”. She relished the idea that “now CEO’s can look like me”, but was also scared of the weight of this responsibility. The Covid19 pandemic focused her, and she remembered her old boss’s words: “you were already doing the job: strategy and people”. She did struggle, as most do, with the shift towards peer influencing, building trust and getting “out of the weeds”, but once again, she had the support of a coach. “I needed to look calm and under control of the ship, while pedaling like crazy underneath the surface”. By focusing on what could be controlled (cash management, sales, product strategy), and adapting to the crazy ride of the rest, she created not just survival but strong profits.

What did not go so well, however, was corporate politics. “I was too naïve and did not understand enough about the boys’ club conversations going on behind closed doors”. When a substantial fraud was uncovered and became public, she resigned. “A sad day for me”. However, given a life-and-death health challenge she had faced a few months previously, when she had reassessed her priorities, “begging God to give me the chance to stay around long enough to watch over my children, even if that was from a wheelchair on my porch”, then it did not take her long to recover her dignity and to begin to imagine other possibilities.

On meeting with her supportive network, she was reminded that she was now 40, and had always planned on doing her own thing by this stage, and that she “had what it took”. So, speedy as ever, Precious created two new businesses: a leadership school that has grown so fast that she had to find another vehicle (a furniture business, back to her origins) in which to invest the profits. And she is thrilled to realize that this is leading to even more impact than she has made in the past. Her leadership game is definitely not over: it’s just starting.

Philippe: a global journey in shaping entertainment from Paris to Shanghai to Riyadh

Philippe grew up immersed in sports in the South of France, with parents who were former professionalathletes and physical education teachers. Their passion for various sports led Philippe to excel as a junior tennis player, aspiring to go pro. However, his parents had other plans. Inspired by his grandfather, a senior civil servant, Philippe ultimately chose to pursue law school instead.

Upon graduation, the General Motors graduate program afforded Philippe the chance to fulfill his ambition of going overseas, and in the various rotations, he developed skills in banking, finance and compliance. It was “not exciting”, but the great discovery was how much he enjoyed the contact with a diverse array of people, and the influencing and creative problem-solving involved in his work every day. He found it particularly useful to be younger than most of his clients, as this allowed him to ask quality questions from a relatively “naïve” point of view, reaching strong conclusions and solutions.

When there was much noise about the advent of Euro Disney in Paris, early in the 1990’s, the “inner little boy” in Philippe was aroused. He found a new role in Finance at the entertainment venture, and immediately realized that the culture was strongly suited to him: collaborative, human and consensus-driven. As Financial Controller, he managed the back office and discovered a strong interest for the HR function, at “the heart of the 25,000 cast members delivering dreams and service daily”. Despite constant “reminders that Finance was the only way to the top of Disney”, he became close to the HR leader, who became his mentor, and eventually his boss, as Philippe took on the role of his Chief of Staff. Others thought he was crazy, but he saw the logic of using HR as a pathway to a general management role. “It allowed me to see how everything worked, especially as this was the birth of the business”, he explained.

Name: Philippe Gas

Nationality: French

HR Experience: Various HR and Compensation roles at Disney

CEO Experience: President /CEO Disneyland Paris and Shanghai Disney Resort, CEO of Qiddiya Investment Company

Having created multiple programs and defined a new future for thousands of employees, Philippe was promoted to head of compensation and benefits. He used the shift to “study employee behavior, and how to deploy this to drive results”. His success led to a broader role, prompting a move to Burbank, California, followed by a stint in Asia, as his influence expanded globally. With his growing experience in HR and a taste for expatriate life, Philippe became increasingly confident that his path would lead to a general management role—a conviction he knew would soon be validated.

However, a wrench was thrown into Philippe’s plans when he was offered the role of head of HR for the company’s most prominent business unit. Though « honored, » he declined, not wanting to be permanently labeled as an “HR guy.” His boss asked for a day to reflect on what could be next, and eventually returned with a proposition to take that senior HR role, but only for 18 months, after which, he would replace the current Disneyland Paris president. The agreement was made on a handshake, and off Philippe went, back to LA, delivering his usual quality HR work, until the 17-month mark, when he received the call saying “Now we have to plan your transition to leading Disneyland Paris!”

The transition was challenging. The role came with all the stakeholder responsibility of a leading French company. While Philippe felt a sense of pride in returning to his roots, he was unprepared for the hostility from disgruntled shareholders. There was also the constant muttering of those who did not understand why Philippe had been selected for the role. Navigating these strained relationships was difficult, but Philippe found his footing by skillfully handling a crucial shareholders’ meeting. He began by hosting roundtables to gauge the atmosphere, build relationships and draw in the skeptical and frustrated shareholders. He then took the stage on the big day, speaking in French for the first time to this audience. His speech won the hearts of both shareholders and the media, solidifying his position as being in control of the business.

This victory was crucial in clearing the path for Philippe’s success, but there were other doubts to assuage along the way. He did not let the pressure affect him, using a philosophy of “nothing can go wrong from ‘trying’ things” and a belief that he “knew enough”. If he failed, at least he would have tried.

What made him succeed, not only at taking on this role, but also in being the longest- tenured Disneyland Paris president ever? A recognition that he does not own his time, and accepting that he is “always on”. Risk “at every corner” feels exciting, not scary. “I’m not looking for trouble; I am looking for more”. Another important dimension is that of feeling “part of the people”. He was now leading the tens of thousands of “kids” who are working in the park, but still felt a great affinity with them, knowing that they were the power behind me, pushing me to do ever better”.

Driven by a strong desire to provide long-term stability, Philippe aimed to stay beyond the initial two years, ultimately extending his tenure to seven. He would have stayed even longer, but he was suddenly asked to make an overnight decision: take charge of Disney’s Parks in China and spearhead a new venture in Shanghai. After consulting his wife, who was as enthusiastic as ever about new opportunities, they embarked on the journey. Philippe successfully launched the park, setting numerous records along the way. A further promotion followed, but the arrival of a new Parks leader, with whom he felt little alignment, made him start reconsidering his options.

A headhunter eventually persuaded Philippe to seriously consider an opportunity to create a groundbreaking entertainment concept in Saudi Arabia. Now, he is leading a massive project to bring the unimaginable to life in the kingdom. The allure of Disney had faded, and it was time for a new challenge. A couple of years into this venture, Philippe has navigated a steep learning curve, but he sees a clear link to his HR background: “It’s always been about wanting and liking to build relationships first and foremost: toget people to understand and engage with me” The new kingdom is suiting him well.

What it takes to navigate the journey from HR Leader to CEO

What leads to the success of an HR leader ascending to the CEO role? There are few role models and no definitive guides, but the stories of those who have made this journey offer valuable insights. None of these leaders initially set out to become CEOs, yet they took deliberate steps to deeply understand their businesses, build connections, and adopt an ownership mindset early on. Their curiosity and ambition positioned them as the clear and right choice when the opportunity arose.

The journeys of Precious, Amit, and Philippe highlight that HR leaders aspiring to become CEOs must develop strong business acumen, lead strategic initiatives beyond HR, and cultivate influential relationships across the organization. These qualities enabled them to transition successfully into the CEO role, proving that a background in HR can indeed be a solid foundation for top leadership.

There’s no reason why we shouldn’t see more CHROs rising to the CEO position—and we believe this trend will only grow in the future. We hope these stories have not only convinced you but also inspired you to see the potential in HR leaders to drive organizations forward from the very top.

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10 tips for those contemplating or open to the path from HR to CEO

Broadening beyond HR to understand and lead the business

1 – Cultivate curiosity: Dive deeply into your domain and explore every facet of the business. Avoid assumptions and continuously seek new knowledge.

2 – Expand your scope: Gain a comprehensive understanding of both the commercial and operational aspects of the business. Take on diverse projects within and beyond HR from the outset.

3 – Adopt a business leader mindset: View yourself as a business leader rather than just a people leader. Embrace an ownership mentality in your role.

Building credibility and influence through strategic projects

4 – Immerse yourself in learning: Expect to invest extra time and effort to fully understand and lead during significant changes. Volunteer for high-impact projects beyond HR.

5 – Take on additional responsibilities: By taking on tasks that lighten your boss’s load, you can accelerate the growth of your reputation.

6 – Focus on credibility: Recognize the importance of credibility in leadership and strive to become the obvious choice for future opportunities.

Building relationships, resilience, and adaptability

7 – Forge broad connections: Build relationships with both key stakeholders and those who may not be immediately obvious, within and outside your organization.

8 – Seek diverse mentorship: Find mentors who offer different perspectives and have a broad view of the business landscape, identifying potential opportunities for you.

9 – Develop political savvy: Cultivate an understanding of organizational dynamics and politics, particularly if you are a woman in a leadership role.

10 – Engage a coach: Invest in a coach during critical and transformative moments in your career for guidance and support.

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From HR to Haute Couture: How Leena Nair is Transforming Chanel

Leena Nair, the CEO of Chanel since 2022, transitioned from a distinguished HR career at Unilever, where she was the first female, first Asian, and youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). Her HR background is pivotal in her leadership at Chanel, where she emphasizes a people-first approach, ensuring that the brand remains inclusive, sustainable, and attuned to its employees’ needs. Nair’s deep understanding of organizational culture and talent management allows her to foster creativity and innovation within the iconic fashion house. Her experience in driving diversity, equity, and inclusion at Unilever has been integral in shaping Chanel’s strategy to remain relevant in a global and diverse market. Nair’s HR expertise also helps her navigate complex global dynamics, managing Chanel’s operations across various cultures while maintaining its luxury appeal. Under her leadership, Chanel continues to blend tradition with modern values, focusing on empowering its workforce and staying committed to sustainable practices.