16 Apr, 2026
Neil Carberry starts as CIPD chief executive
In his first message as CIPD chief executive, Neil Carberry makes the case for people expertise to sit at the heart of how organisations perform.
In his first message as CIPD chief executive, Neil Carberry makes the case for people expertise to sit at the heart of how organisations perform.
Neil Carberry has today started as chief executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development.
Neil succeeds Peter Cheese, who led the CIPD for 14 years before retiring in June. Caroline Stockmann has served as interim chief executive during the handover.
He arrives at a moment when the profession is being asked to help organisations navigate real pressure, from skills shortages to fast-moving technological and economic change. In his first message since starting, Neil sets out his priorities, for the profession and for the CIPD.
Here's his message to the profession, in his own words:
“I’m starting at the CIPD at a time when the profession is being asked to solve some of the hardest questions in organisations.
Work is changing at extraordinary speed, and the demands being placed on people professionals have never been greater. The fact that this has been said before doesn’t make it old news – it makes acting on it now more important than ever.
Growth is struggling to get up off the mat – pounded by the repeated blows of tariffs, supply chain crunches, conflict, political disruption, climate change. Without it we will continue to fail to provide better standards of living, invest in infrastructure, provide the services people need, protect pension funds.
Employers are navigating weak productivity, skills shortages, technological change, new regulations and shifting expectations. While millions of people remain outside the labour market, many organisations still struggle to find the skills and capabilities they need.
Look at almost any issue keeping a policymaker, a politician, or a chief executive awake and, somewhere within it, there is a people question.
Do we have the skills we need? How can we increase the number of people in work? Are we developing the talent we already have? Are managers equipped to lead through change? Are we redesigning work to reflect changing expectations? Are we making the best use of technology?
There’s nothing revolutionary about saying that people and skills drive performance. The challenge is that so many still haven’t acted as if they do, and that has consequences. These are not secondary organisational issues. They determine whether strategy can be delivered at all – but while demand for delivering via people is up, business leaders continue to question the value of the HR function.
So, our purpose at the CIPD is clearer than ever. Our focus must be on demonstrating the difference professional people practice makes: to performance, productivity, opportunity and ultimately growth.
For me, that starts with members.
We must be advocates and trusted advisors for people professionals as they tackle the hardest questions in their organisations – providing evidence, standards, insight, practical support and a community they can draw on. We should walk by members’ side as they face up to challenges and opportunities.
But we also have a responsibility to amplify that work and represent the expertise of our profession in boardrooms, to policymakers and across the wider business debate.
The CIPD should be the place people turn to for the best thinking, the strongest evidence and the most credible voice on work and people.
I don’t arrive with all the answers, and nor should I.
My first job is to listen, learn and work with our members.
Because if we want stronger organisations and a stronger economy, we need to be much more serious about the people and skills that deliver growth.”
Neil Carberry, Chief Executive, CIPD
That promise to listen starts now. Our 2026 membership survey is open until 11.59pm (BST) on 11 October. It takes around 15 minutes and, if you’re short on time, you can pause and pick up where you left off.
Tell us what's working, what needs to change, and what would help you most in your role. It’s your chance to help shape what CIPD membership looks like in 2027, and to give Neil something concrete to listen to as he begins his new role.
