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Human Resources Officers

The next CHRO will help determine whether your strategy becomes organizational strength.

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Executive Search

The next CHRO is one of the most consequential appointments you will make.

When a company needs to grow, reset performance, integrate an acquisition, or change how work gets done, the CHRO appointment becomes a business decision, not simply an HR hire. The right leader can help the CEO make workforce choices, strengthen the leadership bench, and build enough confidence to move through difficult change. The wrong fit can leave a capable strategy without the organization to carry it. Heidrick helps clients identify the CHRO or CPO whose experience, judgment, and influence match the work ahead, whether the best answer is an internal successor or an external appointment.

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The decision behind the hire

The CHRO search starts with a choice: build from within or look outside

The right answer is not predetermined. Internal candidates may bring trust, context, and continuity. External leaders may bring experience the business does not yet have. The job is to test both against the work ahead—not default to a familiar successor or a familiar market profile.
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63%

U.S. CPOs appointed through internal promotion

4%

HR leaders who say succession planning is effective
63%: In Heidrick's analysis of sitting CPOs at Fortune 100 companies, 63% of U.S. CPOs were promoted internally. Source: Chief people officer focus: Explore CPO backgrounds and trends in markets around the world, Heidrick & Struggles, February 3, 2026. The study covers CPOs at the largest companies in the Fortune 100, FTSE 100, and Australia's ASX 100; the 63% finding applies specifically to the United States. 4%: In Heidrick & Struggles' summer 2023 survey of 255 HR leaders, 4% said executive succession planning was as effective as it needed to be. Source: Chief people officer of 2030: Building a toolkit to get from here to there, Heidrick, February 20, 2025.

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Why Heidrick

The obvious candidate is not always the right one

The best CHRO for the next chapter may not be the person who has done the most familiar version of the job. A growth company may need someone who has built leadership infrastructure. A business under pressure may need a leader who can make hard workforce choices and keep the organization together. A company changing course may need a CHRO who can earn the confidence of a new CEO or board. Heidrick brings a deep view of the CHRO market and the judgment to distinguish genuine readiness from a familiar track record.

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Our Leadership

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The appointment decision may expose a wider need

A CHRO or CPO search can bring larger questions into view: the Human Resources mandate, leadership bench, workforce priorities, or organization itself. Explore the related expertise that may help answer them.

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Tell us about the CHRO or CPO appointment, succession decision, or leadership transition ahead.

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