Chief people officer focus: Explore CPO backgrounds and trends in markets around the world

Introduction

Chief people officers (CPOs) across selected key markets—Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—show notable differences in demographics, career development, and diversity, revealing the unique pathways of career growth in each market.

In Australia, the pathway to becoming a CPO often begins earlier, with seven percent of CPOs appointed before the age of 45, substantially higher than in the UK and the US, where only 1% and 4% respectively reach the position in that time. 

Internal versus external appointment patterns also diverge. In the UK, two-thirds of CPOs are external appointments, meaning they joined their companies just a year or less before stepping into the role. The opposite is true in the US, where 63% of CPOs are internal promotions, reflecting a culture of long-term internal development. And on average, CPOs in the US have spent 10 years at their company prior to being promoted to the role—more than double the 4 years typical in both the UK and Australia.

Experience also varies by region. Board experience is least common in Australia, where only 5% of CPOs have public board experience and just 2% have served on a public board committee. In contrast, 16% of CPOs in the FTSE 100 and 18% of CPOs at Fortune 100 companies bring public board experience to their role. As we discussed in a recent article, having board members with HR expertise brings critical strategic value to the company. The reverse is true too: CPOs with an understanding of how boards work can bring a rare mix of operational insight and governance acumen to the executive roles that can help them drive long-term value creation.

Despite these regional differences in career progression, one consistent and long-standing point remains the same across all markets: the overwhelming majority of CPOs are women. This dominance of female leadership in people functions marks a rare exception in the broader executive landscape.

In terms of other demographic differences, nationality alignment is higher in the United States than elsewhere, meaning that it is common for CPOs at American companies to be American nationals. This is true for 89% of American CPOs, compared to about 60% of CPOs in other markets whose nationality matches the country in which the company is listed. Regarding racial or ethnic diversity, the majority of CPOs are white across all three markets.