- Four in five CEOs consider their CPO as a manufacturer of pivotal changes, but not all the C-Suite
- Only 36% of financial directors and 32% of COOs say that CPOs are the main transformations
- 30% of financial directors want better collaboration with HR
- One in three CTOS considers HR functions as partitioned
- Research based on the ideas of 450 commercial leaders and C-Suite
London, September 18, 2025 – New research reveals a critical disalping between HR and the members of the C-Suite which hinders efforts to transform businesses. The results of “ From the implementator to the influencer: redefine the role of HR in commercial transformation“The Lace Partners report suggests that if the officers of the Chief (CPO) are increasingly recognized as key players in business transformation, their influence is often limited by sporadic integration with their C-Suite peers, with 40% of senior leaders calling for a stronger strategic alignment.
The study, based on ideas of 450 C-Suite leaders, shows that two thirds of CPOs (66%) think that they direct the transformation agenda, and 82% of CEOs agree that their CPOs are as influential as other senior executives. However, this point of view is not shared in all areas – for example, only 36% of financial directors and 32% of COOs agree, highlighting a disconnection between perception and partnership.
The results also reveal that financial directors and COOs often consider HR as underfuncedes, reactive or lacking in a clear link with commercial results. Thirty percent of financial directors want better collaboration with HR, and one in three CTOS believes that HR remains too compartmentalized to effectively generate transformation. Although the vast majority of CEOs and CPOs report a strong alignment between the strategy of people and the commercial objectives, this alignment is often not translated into practice due to the challenges of resources, hierarchy gaps and poor connectivity between functions.
Aaron Alburey, founder of Lace Partnerssaid: “From our work, and now supported by research, we know that HR play a more important strategic role in training business changes. However, in many companies, HR managers are still brought to transformation projects at the planning or execution stage, well after key decisions.
Although there is an increasing appetite for people focused on people to increase the return on investment, without a real interfunctional collaboration, many initiatives will be won even before the implementation stadium. »»
The report also stresses that average / large organizations, generally those of 10,000 to 50,000 employees, have a unique opportunity to amplify the impact of HR. These companies tend to benefit from a more solid internal alignment and more agile operations, but many should always offer a large -scale transformation without the tools, the capacity or the analytical skills necessary to play a really strategic role.
The addition of the prospect of a CEO on the role of HR in the transformation of companies, Simon Walsh, CEO of Oneadvanced, explained: “If the CEO treats HR as an administrative function, then HR cannot play a role in the transformation. However, any transformation, that its systems and tools, market segments or geographic changes are entirely predicted in the people who provide them. ways of working.
“The CEO, the CPO and the financial director are a triumvirate. We make a daily stand-up (a key actions meeting today) to explore and understand any change that we undertake. The CPO is like a combat partner to determine the extent of the change in any transformation, although they are not the only voice on the perspective of people.
The full report can be downloaded here.
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About Lace partners
Lace Partners is a Consulting Consulting in Global RH Boutique that supports the main employers with HR transformation, technological advice, change and adoption. It combines expertise at the request of the best HR change specialists, with the leaders of the HR progressive technology market, providing flexible and tailor -made service to help HR teams and executed large organizations to resolve strategic and technological challenges. Its operating model stimulates innovation, quality and collaboration. The United Kingdom whose head office undertakes global projects for organizations in all sectors and sizes of industry.
For more information, visit www.lacepartners.co.uk.
