Most companies trying to glean insights from their data about leaders’ capabilities and skills are still mired in “Excel hell.” Some, however, are building enterprise-wide resources that can offer insights to drive performance.

Riitta Savonlahti outlines a practical playbook for aligning culture with long-term strategy through trust, clear accountability, matrix leadership.

Char Doll shares how grit, growth mindset, and a focus on aligning people strategy with business goals have guided her in building on HR’s strengths to elevate leadership, enhance employee experience, and drive lasting impact.

Grounded in insights from the Heidrick & Struggles CPO Summit, this article shows how the best leaders create clarity amid enduring uncertainty. The CPO’s influence is rising as AI transforms work, and success now depends on fair AI adoption, strong succession pipelines, and performance-focused hybrid work cultures.