There is no single route to becoming a CEO – but if most people were to guess, they would probably assume the leader of a business came from a finance or operations background. If you listed the potential sources of an organisation’s next CEO, it’s likely few would put HR at the top of the list.
That certainly bears out in our recent Future CEO report, which surveyed business leaders across the country. It found that just 3% of CEOs came from a HR background – the joint lowest with technology – compared to 35% for operations, 32% for commercial and sales, and 19% for finance. Separate studies have shown more than half of FTSE 100 CEOs have a finance background.
‘Soft’ skills to the fore
But, could an increasingly uncertain world be about to change that? Roisin Currie at Greggs is a rare example of a CEO who has come from a HR background at a major company, but there are compelling reasons that suggest more could follow her lead in the years ahead.
A big part of that is the evolving view of the CEO role. As part of our research, what many people perceive as ‘soft’ skills – often associated with HR – came to the fore. Nearly half (49%) of respondents said high emotional intelligence was a critical skill for a CEO to succeed today, far higher than in previous years, no doubt influenced by the many uncertainties of the past year.
This shift also reflects broader recognition that modern leadership is increasingly about navigating ambiguity, building trust, and creating environments where people can perform at their best. All of that should play to HR’s strengths.
What HR brings to the table
In that context, there are several specific skills that HR leaders can showcase. They have a high degree of ownership over the development of the next generation of leaders within organisations, not only in terms of learning and skills frameworks, but also on the wider talent pipeline – areas that have seldom been more important as AI permeates every part of how businesses function. And as businesses grapple with reskilling, workforce planning, and the ethics of automation, HR’s strategic influence is expanding far beyond traditional personnel management.
On a similar theme, HR likely also has regular engagement with every division and team – that gives it a people-first perspective few other disciplines can match. HR leaders will know how teams operate, the dynamics within them, and their development needs. Those strengths in employee engagement, coaching, and emotional intelligence enable them to build high-performing teams and foster cultures of trust and alignment. In many organisations, HR is the only function with a truly holistic view of the business, giving it a unique understanding of how decisions in one area ripple across the whole system.
HR leaders also understand how to communicate strategic direction in ways that resonate with staff, ensuring that even during challenging times, people remain connected to the organisation’s purpose. In periods like the one we are going through right now, that is a hugely important skill. The ability to translate strategy into human terms – what it means for teams, workloads, and expectations – is increasingly seen as a differentiator for effective CEOs.
Likewise, their ability to adapt to growth or attrition, make tough people decisions and advocate for inclusive leadership ensures that business outcomes are achieved, not just through financial performance, but through empowered and motivated teams. In a world where leadership is increasingly about influence and values, HR professionals offer a vital lens for sustainable, people-driven success. Boards are also placing greater emphasis on culture, governance, and organisational resilience – all areas where HR leaders have deep expertise and credibility.
How HR leaders can get the top job
Research indicated that there is no lack of interest among HR directors in taking the step up to CEO – 42% said they were interested in the job and 50% believe they have the potential to reach that level. The challenge for many is their progression, with only 42% from those surveyed suggesting they felt their organisation has adequate development pathways. This suggests a structural issue: while HR leaders may have the ambition and capability, the routes available to them are often less defined than those for their peers in finance or operations.
So, how can they position themselves for the top job? There is no getting around the fact that while HR professionals bring valuable strengths in people management, culture and leadership, they often face challenges transitioning into CEO roles due to limited exposure to core commercial, financial and operational functions. Many are perceived as being too internally focused, lacking direct experience with external stakeholders, customer engagement and strategic business development. These perceptions, whether accurate or not, can create barriers that HR leaders must proactively work to overcome.
To be considered credible CEO candidates, they need to demonstrate business acumen in areas like financial strategy, P&L ownership, commercialisation, and market dynamics. Gaining experience outside their function through cross-functional leadership roles, strategic project ownership, or secondments in operations and finance is essential to develop the skills and expertise that will equip them with the best chance possible of reaching CEO. Shadowing senior commercial leaders, taking responsibility for revenue-generating initiatives, or leading transformation programmes can also help HR professionals build the track record boards look for.
Of equal importance is developing a clear understanding of how people create value in an organisation and aligning HR initiatives to measurable strategic outcomes. While the CEO role is not out of reach, HR leaders’ success will depend on their ability to demonstrate breadth, commercial insight, and strategic impact across the entire organisation. This means shifting from being seen as custodians of culture to being recognised as architects of organisational performance.
Seasoned HR professionals are already doing much of that and more than proving their worth as senior leaders in a business. It would be no surprise to see more HR representation in the top job, as a result, but proving the discipline’s wider impact to boards and senior leadership will be absolutely critical to making that a reality in the years ahead.
