What every CPO needs to know about building a board career

Thinking about a non-executive career? Earlier this month, we welcomed a group of senior Chief People Officers for a candid breakfast conversation with Norman Broadbent about what it really takes to make the move from CPO to the boardroom.

The session featured Lucinda Charles-Jones, a former Chief People and Corporate Responsibility Officer at AXA UK & Ireland who has built a successful portfolio career as a FTSE 250 non-executive director and remuneration committee chair, in conversation with Tanya Gass, Partner and Head of Norman Broadbent's Board Practice. Between them, they brought both sides of the equation: the lived experience of building a board career and the recruiter's perspective on what boards are really looking for.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event.

It starts with honest self-reflection

Before speaking to a single headhunter, aspiring NEDs need to do the inner work. Are you comfortable stepping back from running things? Can you cope with being in and out of organisations rather than embedded in one? Are you prepared for the financial trade-off?

Being a non-executive is fundamentally different from being an executive. You don't have a home team. You're not in the business day-to-day. And you won't earn what you earn today.

The key is to go in with your eyes open — particularly at a time when boards are under real pressure to evolve. Our Board Value Index, a survey of more than 200 directors in the UK and US, found that nearly half of directors think their board doesn't add enough value, and only 44% of boards prioritise forward-looking discussions. Too many are stuck reviewing past performance. That's a problem, but it also creates a real opportunity for experienced leaders ready to step up.

Be deliberate about your positioning

Telling headhunters you can do anything, anywhere, in any sector makes it harder for them to place you.

That doesn't mean boxing yourself into one narrow lane. If your experience spans multiple sectors, describe the characteristics of the businesses you're drawn to: those going through transformation, with a large workforce or complex people challenges, or at a particular stage of growth.

Your board CV matters too, and it's very different from an executive CV. Your perception of yourself isn't always how others see you, so getting external input is invaluable. Organisations like Women on Boards offer CV critiques that can help you rethink how you present your experience. The goal isn't for someone else to write it for you, but to help you craft the messaging: pulling out strengths you've overlooked, reframing your board experience, and making sure you lead with the value you bring, not just the roles you've held. Your LinkedIn "About" section should tell the same story and echo the same themes as your CV.

Build your foundation while you're still in post

One of the most practical themes was what serving CPOs can do now to lay the groundwork for their transition into the boardroom. The advice covered four areas.

First, make sure your contribution is visibly broad. Lead a project or champion an initiative that has nothing to do with people and culture. You'll need evidence points that counter the perception that CPOs can only add value in one lane.

Second, get board and committee exposure. Attend board meetings, sit in on committees, and understand how the governance machinery works.

Third, stay close to the technical remuneration agenda. The most common route onto a board for a CPO is as a remuneration committee chair.

And fourth, consider taking on a not-for-profit board role. Choose something you care about and can add value to, and that will stretch you.

The first role is the hardest

Patience is everything. It can take 12 to 18 months to land your first NED role, and that's completely normal. Boards are naturally risk-averse about first-time non-executives, and the process often feels slower than it should — particularly for people used to operating at pace in demanding executive roles.

The advice was to manage your own impatience and treat the search like a steady project rather than an urgent one. Chip away at it consistently. Even something as simple as reaching out to one person in your network each week keeps momentum going. But resist the temptation to jump at the first opportunity that comes along. It's flattering to be approached, but due diligence matters on both sides. Recognise your own value, take your time, and choose wisely.

The remuneration committee chair role is the natural entry point for CPOs — and one that demands far more than many expect. The stakeholder alignment, regulatory engagement, and behind-the-scenes judgment calls are substantial and often invisible. It requires resilience, political savvy, and a strong sense of personal conviction. But it puts you right at the heart of how boards operate and how strategy gets delivered.

Why boards need people expertise

Our Board Value Index also found that human resources is one of the areas where boards are least confident in the quality of their decision-making. With so many boards already struggling to add value, the case for people leaders in the boardroom has never been stronger.

CPOs bring skills that boards badly need: the ability to coach and challenge constructively, navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, and connect people strategy to business performance. We see this first-hand through our own work with CPOs and their teams, whether that's helping them write sharper board reports using Report Writer, our AI-powered reporting tool, or upskilling their people on communication and critical thinking through our training programmes. The trick is making sure that broader value comes through in your CV, in your pitch, and in how you show up around the board table.