A case study series giving advice from senior HR leaders who have successfully moved to non-executive director roles
With workforce issues rising up the corporate agenda, there is a growing need for expertise around people matters on boards. Many of the challenges currently faced by organisations come down to people management, including hybrid working, closing skills gaps, talent attraction and retention, EDI and workforce mental health.
It’s therefore not surprising that CIPD research suggests an increasing openness from hiring chairs around appointing people professionals as non-executive directors.
Senior HR leaders bring expertise to boards in the following critical areas:
As one HR director-turned-NED explains:
"I noticed in the early years [of being a NED] that the board didn’t understand the strategic importance of the people agenda. And the HR profession suffered because of that. Now there is more recognition about the importance of the people agenda…I’m beginning to hear people say: 'I need somebody who understands how I move my people, this large, monolithic global organisation, from where it was to where I need it to be.'"
So, if you are an HR leader with aspirations to build a portfolio career of non-executive directorships, what do you need to consider and how do you position yourself for success?
We interviewed six HR leaders about their transition to non-executive director. They give advice for HR leaders on:
Read our case studies below.
Listen to episodes of HR People Pod, the CIPD’s fortnightly podcast providing expert insights from HR leaders discussing the topical issues impacting the world of work.
Listen now
Emma Jordaan, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based consultancy, Infinite Consulting, explores leadership’s role in embracing diversity to achieve the cultural unity needed to sustain organisational performance
In this guest blog for International HR Day 2026, David R Blackburn, Chartered CCIPD and Managing Director, David R Blackburn Consulting, explores the value of building trust for leaders and organisations looking to bring the best out of their employees.
In this guest blog for International HR Day 2026, Wendy K. Smith, Dana J. Johnson Professor of Management, University of Delaware and Faculty Fellow, Harvard Business School, explores how both/and thinking will define the future of leadership.
Leading Voices is a series of short audio essays in which senior people professionals reflect on how they have tackled some of the profession's most pressing challenges.
Leading Voices is a series of short audio essays in which senior people professionals reflect on how they have tackled some of the profession's most pressing challenges.
