The Journey To The Board.
How Senior HR Leaders Are Redefining Governance & Strategic Influence
As the corporate landscape evolves, senior HR executives are increasingly stepping into board roles - not just to broaden their horizons, but to shape the future of leadership, governance, and societal impact from the top down.
Summary:
1. Senior HR leaders are embracing board roles to expand their strategic influence, gain cross-sector experience, and apply their expertise in new, impactful ways.
2. Board roles give HR leaders a chance to deepen commercial insight, embrace variety, and mark personal milestones while contributing strategically.
3. HR leaders are drawn to board roles by the chance to influence governance and are often supported by senior sponsors and professional networks.
4. Some HR leaders overcome doubts or embrace board roles post-retirement, finding renewed purpose and strategic impact through experience and networks.
For senior HR leaders, the route to the boardroom is increasingly shaped by a confluence of professional ambition, personal development, and a broader commitment to corporate and societal impact. While each trajectory is distinct, several consistent themes emerge from the experiences of those who have transitioned into Independent and NED roles - ranging from the pursuit of strategic influence to the desire to apply people-centric expertise at the highest levels of governance.
Broadening Horizons and Strategic Reach
For many senior HR leaders, the transition to board service is driven by a desire to expand their strategic purview, geographical horizons and engage with new sectors. As Angie Risley commented, “initially, I was a UK-focused executive, and my first NED appointment was at BIFFA. I had not expanded my horizons internationally and thought it would be a useful addition to my skillset. My role on the Board at BIFFA was instrumental in me joining the Boards of Arriva (the international passenger transport group) and Serco, which provided me with exposure to government outsourcing, a totally new market for me. The insights which I received into very different businesses were fascinating and incredibly helpful.” This sentiment is echoed by Mikko Pelkonen, who reflected on his own motivations: “To broaden experience and learn from different industries, networking and meeting new people and do some good.”
Others are drawn to the strategic dimension of board roles.
“I like to stretch myself,” said Margaret Chiu, “so I was drawn to an NED role as it is strategic in nature, and one where I could provide guidance in an industry I know very well but in an independent manner.” Gajendra Chandel described the boardroom as “a platform, an opportunity to shape direction, elevate leadership thinking, and support promoters committed to building world-class institutions with deeply Indian roots.” For Aparna Sharma, the move was a logical next step: “I became a Board NED because I saw it as a natural progression in my career after serving as a CHRO.”
Commercial Insight, Variety and Personal Milestones
For many HR leaders, the decision to pursue a board role is underpinned by a desire to broaden their commercial exposure and apply their expertise in new strategic contexts. Michelle Healy noted that she “had exposure as a General Manager, leading M&A transformation and HR throughout [her] career,” describing HR as “the thread in a wider group of skills.” Upon joining ISS, she proactively sought a non-executive role and received strong backing from her CEO and Board - an experience she described as “one of the best decisions I have ever made” in a sector she finds “genuinely interesting and stimulating.” Camilla Grönholm similarly viewed board service as a platform to contribute in a fresh environment. She “wanted to utilise [her] experience in a new context by contributing as an NED in companies where [she] can bring true value,” and expressed a desire to “continue challenging [herself], but also to give back,” having developed through a range of business models and industries.
For others, the appeal lies in intellectual variety and the opportunity to engage beyond the executive remit. Celia Baxter, reflecting on her tenure at Bunzl, said she “wanted some variety alongside [her] day job” and initially hesitated about a plural career. She was encouraged by the CEO to take on one NED role - an opening that allowed her to explore this path more fully.
Leanne Wood also highlighted the value of breadth and learning, explaining that she approaches the NED role not “purely with a CHRO lens” but with “a broader business leadership hat.” With over a decade in C-suite roles, she believes it is “that breadth of business insight from different industries that enables [her] to make a rounded contribution as an NED.” Janina Kugel shared that she “wanted additional challenges” and therefore took her first Board role while she was still a CHRO. For Gautam Chainani, the motivation was to remain engaged with the business world in a meaningful way. He explained that he “wanted to stay connected with the business in a less active role,” while continuing to build his network and contribute to the industry, drawing on experience across multiple sectors. Mette Vestergaard added that her readiness for board service stemmed from her broader leadership credentials, stating that her appointments were “due to [her] CEO and P&L experience, not due to the CHRO role alone.” She also pointed out that the CHRO experience contributed to her value as a board member, since it gave her important working knowledge of remuneration, nomination, organisational transformation, and leadership development.
Governance as a Key Driver
For many senior HR leaders, the opportunity to contribute to corporate governance and offer an external, independent perspective is a compelling incentive for board service. Jin Montesano admitted she “didn't initially set out to be a Non-Executive Director,” but came to appreciate “how important it is to really understand the workings of governance, how it actually makes a difference in creating new value.”
She believes “the power of NEDs is really bringing a fresh pair of eyes and the outside world into the Boardroom, where the big decisions are being made that have impact on tens of thousands of people.”
Encouraged by Leaders and Networks
In many cases, board appointments were catalysed by encouragement from senior leaders or professional networks. Jacky Simmonds recalled that “my CEO at TUI said that it would be beneficial for me to take on an NED role. I had been in the same industry for some time, and we had a German supervisory Board. As the demand for diversity increased, I was given the opportunity.” Cy Chan shared a similar experience: “I was invited to join the Board as an independent director in 2023 by the previous CEO who became an NED c. 2021, and invited me to join the Board in 2023. Since I had been a volunteer and a Committee Chair for Mother’s Choice, the CEO at the time had got to know me, and I had already contributed significantly on the people-side of the organisation.” Tanuj Kapilashrami highlighted the career-enhancing nature of board experience: “My Board experience has led me to take on bigger executive appointments. A year into being CHRO, I joined the Board of a major British retailer, and I sat on a subsidiary Board at my previous firm. The Chief Executive at Standard Chartered really encouraged me to pursue this opportunity, which is very important when taking on your first NED role.”
Overcoming Doubts and Embracing Opportunity
While many HR leaders actively pursue board roles, others approach the opportunity with initial surprise. Isabel Barros admitted, “The invitation surprised me, because I didn’t imagine to be an NED in an industrial business like Sonae Indústria (where I had no previous experience), but it also gave me more responsibility and I felt challenged to quickly start to bring effective contributions to the discussions. The Chairman said, the invitation was exactly because of that.” She went on to explain that “the Chairman of our group believed a profile like mine would be appropriate for NED roles. It is kind of an implied rule at SONAE that all the executives must have an NED appointment in other businesses.”
For Emmanuel David, the transition was more organic. “My real learning and motivation came when I was a permanent invitee to the Board as CHRO of a listed company. I had superannuated and was happy for an opportunity to continue contributing to the industry through my expertise.” Informal networks also played a pivotal role in the journeys of Sandee Hurse, Dr Chandrasekhar Sripada, and Gajendra Chandel, whose board appointments emerged through longstanding professional relationships. Jun Aoki underscored the strategic alignment between human capital and corporate direction, noting that “the HR strategy is designed to deliver the business strategy,” and that “integration of management strategy and HR strategy is essential for the success of a company.” His board role, he explained, enables him to apply this integration from an external vantage point. In Japan, Chika Sato acknowledged that she “did not previously have a strong intention to become a Non-Executive Director,” but as demand for female executives in outside director roles increased, she began to consider the opportunity. Katariina Kravi explained she became an NED because of the “great opportunity to contribute on the other side of the table and also learn new businesses on top of the daily job. You also learn a lot from the board of director colleagues and respective leadership team.”
Post-Retirement Purpose and Contribution
For some, board service forms a deliberate part of a post-retirement portfolio - an avenue to remain engaged while contributing meaningfully. Dr Chandrasekhar Sripada explained that “this was a part of my post-retirement career plan to build a portfolio of occupations in the adjacencies of my skills and experience.”
He viewed board roles as “significant opportunities to leverage my years of C-suite experience to influence:
- Business growth.
- Mentor the CEO and other top leaders.
- Drive greater focus on the human capital agenda.
- Overall, enhance corporate governance.”
Yukari Yomo expressed a similar motivation: “Since I retired as an executive businessperson, I had decided that I would not work full-time, but I thought it would be nice to contribute to society for a certain part of my lifetime. In that way, I wanted to keep connected with society in a capacity where I could make contribution.”
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