In his latest article for The HR Director, Livingston James Director Ali Shaw explores whether today’s uncertain business environment could reshape the pathway to CEO, creating new opportunities for HR leaders.
Despite HR’s central role in shaping organisations, only a small proportion of CEOs come from HR backgrounds.
Livingston James’ Future CEO research report produced in association with EY, surveyed business leaders across the country, and just 3% of CEOs came from HR backgrounds compared to far higher numbers from operations, sales, and finance. However, this could be changing. As businesses face increasing uncertainty, the definition of effective leadership is evolving.
Qualities traditionally considered “soft skills” – particularly emotional intelligence, trust-building, and the ability to lead through ambiguity – are now seen as critical CEO capabilities, with nearly half of leaders rating them as essential in our research survey.
This shift plays directly to HR’s strengths. HR leaders bring a unique, organisation-wide perspective, with deep insight into people, culture, and performance. They are instrumental in developing leadership pipelines, navigating workforce transformation (including AI and reskilling), and aligning teams with strategy. Their ability to connect business goals with employee engagement is increasingly valuable in driving sustainable success.
However, barriers remain. Many HR leaders lack exposure to commercial, financial, and operational leadership, which can limit their perceived readiness for CEO roles. While interest is high, with 42% of HR leaders aspiring to become CEO, development pathways are often unclear. To reach the top role, HR professionals must actively demonstrate broader business impact which includes building commercial acumen, gaining cross-functional experience, and taking ownership of strategic initiatives that show measurable value. Those who successfully position themselves as enterprise-wide leaders – not just functional experts – are best placed to break through.
As leadership demands continue to evolve, organisations must reconsider what defines a successful CEO. Boards and hiring panels must look beyond traditional leadership routes and recognise the strategic, people-driven capabilities HR leaders bring to the top role.
If you are a HR leaders aspiring to become a CEO one day, now is the time to expand your commercial exposure, demonstrate enterprise-wide impact, and position yourself as a business leader – not just a functional expert.
At Livingston James, we partner with organisations to identify and develop future-ready leaders, helping businesses unlock talent with the breadth, mindset and capability to lead in an increasingly complex world. For executive search and succession planning support for your organisation, please reach out to Ali Shaw for a confidential discussion: [email protected].
Reference:
The HR Director (2026) Could uncertainty mean more CEOs from HR backgrounds? 27 May. Available at: https://www.thehrdirector.com/uncertainty-mean-ceos-hr-backgrounds/ (Accessed: 28 May 2026)
Featured in The HR Director: Reframing CEO Succession – The Strategic Case for HR Leaders
In his latest article for The HR Director, Livingston James Director Ali Shaw explores whether today’s uncertain business environment could reshape the pathway to CEO, creating new opportunities for HR leaders.
You can read the full article in The HR Director here.
Despite HR’s central role in shaping organisations, only a small proportion of CEOs come from HR backgrounds.
Livingston James’ Future CEO research report produced in association with EY, surveyed business leaders across the country, and just 3% of CEOs came from HR backgrounds compared to far higher numbers from operations, sales, and finance. However, this could be changing. As businesses face increasing uncertainty, the definition of effective leadership is evolving.
Qualities traditionally considered “soft skills” – particularly emotional intelligence, trust-building, and the ability to lead through ambiguity – are now seen as critical CEO capabilities, with nearly half of leaders rating them as essential in our research survey.
This shift plays directly to HR’s strengths. HR leaders bring a unique, organisation-wide perspective, with deep insight into people, culture, and performance. They are instrumental in developing leadership pipelines, navigating workforce transformation (including AI and reskilling), and aligning teams with strategy. Their ability to connect business goals with employee engagement is increasingly valuable in driving sustainable success.
However, barriers remain. Many HR leaders lack exposure to commercial, financial, and operational leadership, which can limit their perceived readiness for CEO roles. While interest is high, with 42% of HR leaders aspiring to become CEO, development pathways are often unclear. To reach the top role, HR professionals must actively demonstrate broader business impact which includes building commercial acumen, gaining cross-functional experience, and taking ownership of strategic initiatives that show measurable value. Those who successfully position themselves as enterprise-wide leaders – not just functional experts – are best placed to break through.
As leadership demands continue to evolve, organisations must reconsider what defines a successful CEO. Boards and hiring panels must look beyond traditional leadership routes and recognise the strategic, people-driven capabilities HR leaders bring to the top role.
If you are a HR leaders aspiring to become a CEO one day, now is the time to expand your commercial exposure, demonstrate enterprise-wide impact, and position yourself as a business leader – not just a functional expert.
At Livingston James, we partner with organisations to identify and develop future-ready leaders, helping businesses unlock talent with the breadth, mindset and capability to lead in an increasingly complex world. For executive search and succession planning support for your organisation, please reach out to Ali Shaw for a confidential discussion: [email protected].
Reference:
The HR Director (2026) Could uncertainty mean more CEOs from HR backgrounds? 27 May. Available at: https://www.thehrdirector.com/uncertainty-mean-ceos-hr-backgrounds/ (Accessed: 28 May 2026)
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